The Kaleidoscope Syndrome
by Prosopopeia
Summary: AU, yaoi YxH When Yusuke's past begins to mix with his present, it's up to a certain three eyed youkai to help keep his mind intact. On Extended Hiatus.
1. The Infinity

Okie dokie, folks, I'm back to my regular Hiei/Yusuke fandom! Here goes fic number two that stars this pairing. We need more of these, dammit! I've only seen literally a handful out there with this pairing. So this is my little addition. Need I say there will be yaoi? I think not.

_Disclaimer: Me don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, k?_

* * *

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part I**

* * *

The wind was harsh. It blew across the deserted landscape, whipping the bare trees and causing a low moan to echo painfully in the distance. The ground was arid and the sun hid behind ghastly red clouds. Amongst the vastness there traveled a lone figure. His face was hidden under a hood and the tanned cloak he wore flew about wildly with the wind. This did nothing to hinder him, though. He went on in a slow, easy pace and didn't seem to notice the bitter conditions around him.

Then from the horizon came a distant yell. A gang of youkai, all ranging in different sizes and colors, came marching as one with determines looks in their eyes to the cloaked figure, who merely stopped to watch. One demon, presumably the leader, looked particularly fierce with his yellow eyes glowing blazingly as he raised his arm, a large club in hand.

"Down with you, Urameshi!"

The youkai hammered down on the smaller figure only to wind up with a fist in his gut. With a heavy grunt, he sagged to the ground lifelessly. The other youkai froze in their pace and stared at the figure, aghast. The latter smiled slightly and lifted his hood, revealing a mane of long white hair tied into a ponytail. Strange markings adorned his otherwise youthful face and dark brown eyes glittered brightly as they stared down at the youkai.

"You know, attacking unwary strangers is rather rude," he said, his tone humorous.

The youkai moved away fearfully.

"We are not afraid of you!"

Urameshi Yusuke grinned to himself before bending down before their fallen leader, charging up his Rei-Gun at point blank range. "Oh? Then I suppose you'll come and save this one, right?" he inquired, the blue light from his fingertip making shadows dance around his face ominously.

The youkai took but one glance at their leader before fleeing away quickly, weapons cast aside recklessly. Yusuke narrowed his eyes and withdrew his attack at the fallen youkai. He stood up and pulled on his hood once again, reverting back to his ningen form as did so.

"Damn youkai have no sense of loyalty," he muttered under his breath before turning away to continue on his journey.

The weather was still as angry as before. Eddies carrying dirt and sand hit Yusuke relentlessly and still he paid no heed to it. The Makai was known for making trouble for him and he welcomed it with open arms. A long time ago he would have complained. A long time ago he would not have even been in the Makai, making the trip he was now. But a long time ago was gone and Yusuke had to deal with the present. Daydreaming about life in the Ningenkai was futile where he was; it would only get himself killed and Yusuke planned to live for many more years.

All at once, a sudden pained vision crossed his mind, causing him to falter slightly. A memory entered his mind—one where he was still just a small boy and _innocent_. It was winter and he was with Keiko, throwing snowballs at her while she tried in vain to finish her snowman. Yusuke closed his eyes and scrunched up his eyebrows to clear his head. And just as suddenly the vision came, it was gone. The dark-haired man opened his eyes slowly, breathing in deeply at the strange sensation still ringing clearly in his mind. The occurrences of these flashbacks were increasing with each passing day and getting worse. Occasionally Yusuke found himself mixing up what happened the day before with what happened a year ago. He wasn't sure when it began—he wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Only one thought remained constant: he had to keep walking. A journey across the Makai, though, always entailed danger especially when one was the successor to Raizen and even more so when he was stepping into territory that was not his. Yusuke thought to himself wonderingly. It had been many a year since he last visited Kurama. Even if their predecessors had been rivals, Yusuke still considered the kitsune to be one of his closest friends. There was nothing to compete in anymore. They each had their lands and that was it. The only thing that kept it from being perfect was the fact that the youkai living within each of their lands still considered them to be eternal enemies in the names of Raizen and Yomi. Nothing could be done to settle the rivalry. Yusuke hated disputes.

So it was only natural that as he got closer to Kurama's territory, more youkai would arrive to confront him. Even though he had ordered a safe passage for Yusuke, it did little to stop those demons who saw him as a threat. But whenever Kurama had visited his lands, the youkai there did nothing. They only let him pass with almost reverent looks in their eyes. It made Yusuke wonder to himself. Perhaps had he not been so hotheaded and temperamental when he was younger, he would have been able to command more respect now. A small smile made its way to his face. How things changed with time.

"_URAMESHI_!"

The dark-haired man looked up wearily as another onslaught of youkai approached him. He was almost at the gate to Kurama's castle now. The youkai wore red uniforms bearing the emblem of their master, a rose.

"Stop."

Before the youkai could strike, a soft order was issued. The soldiers ceased immediately and saluted the figure coming down from the main steps of the castle. Yusuke looked up and offered a genuine smile.

"Perfect timing as usual, Kurama," he greeted amusedly. _He looks the same_, he thought. Kurama was in his ningen form as well, red hair gleaming in the sun and green eyes sparkling with warmth.

"I must admit, I was a bit surprised when you said you were visiting. It's been quite a while," replied Kurama before he swept the other man into an embrace. "It's good to see you."

Yusuke froze momentarily before easing into the hold, hugging Kurama back as well. Such gestures had become rare for him. "Ditto," he said quietly.

When they pulled away, Kurama took a few steps back to gaze down at his figure. "Hmm…it seems we both like to be in our ningen forms," he commented, laughing lightly.

"Looks that way, no? So…can I go in?" replied Yusuke, arching an eyebrow at his last question. Kurama's guards remained gazing at him scathingly and he was beginning to grow tired of being outside.

At once, Kurama nodded and began to lead Yusuke up the stairs. "Yes, I'm sorry. My manners seemed to have slipped in the past few years," he said hurriedly before looking at Yusuke. "How long will you be staying?"

The dark-haired man blinked. That thought had never occurred to him before. "Not sure. Is it a problem?" he answered.

Kurama shook his head, smiling slightly. "Not at all, Yusuke," he replied brightly.

A pang hit Yusuke. It had been a while since anyone called him by his given name. After everyone he knew from the Ningenkai passed on, he had finally decided to live permanently in the Makai and to make a new life for himself. So he dropped his first name and most youkai now knew him as Urameshi. Only close friends like Kurama and Hiei still called him Yusuke. It warmed his heart to be with someone familiar again.

"You've made improvements to this place," quipped Yusuke casually as he glanced around the castle and the youkai that lurked about in the corners. It had a very Victorian feel to it—typical of Kurama. He too was influence by the Ningenkai, having remained there until his younger stepbrother passed away.

"I didn't really approve too much of what Yomi had—a bit boorish in my opinion," he replied, eliciting a chuckle from Yusuke. The redhead smiled. "Ah, so you can laugh. I was beginning to worry."

Yusuke waved a hand carelessly. "Things become less funny as you get older," he said nonchalantly.

The two entered a council room. It was mostly bare with a large circular table in the middle. Some nature paintings hung on the walls. Kurama pulled up a seat and gestured for Yusuke to follow suit. Then after several moments of silence, the redhead ordered for his guards to leave. They obeyed grudgingly and left them in private.

"Rather clingy aren't they?" queried Yusuke, smiling slightly.

Kurama folded his hands and nodded back. "Well, I had originally wanted less men but they refused to leave," he said, shrugging lightly.

Yusuke laughed at that. "Must be nice to have so many loyal followers," he retorted, eyes drifting across the room.

"They're all good men," said Kurama quietly as he watched Yusuke. He grew concerned. "Yusuke, what's wrong?"

The dark-haired man looked at him with some surprise. "Eh? Why do you ask?" he inquired.

Kurama closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. "You look like you haven't gotten any decent sleep for one thing, and you haven't said a word about yourself. Diversionary tactics foiled, Yusuke," he replied calmly.

"Ha, I guess I should have known better than to hide anything from you," admitted Yusuke before he sighed tiredly. He looked at Kurama sharply. "I've been feeling off as of late. And it's not because I can't sleep amazingly enough. If anything, sleep has turned into my haven. When I'm awake, that's when everything spins around crazily."

Kurama narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer to Yusuke. "What exactly do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"I've been having weird relapses, Kurama. Sometimes during the day I'll all of the sudden get an image in my head—a memory. They vary, too. I just had one today of Keiko and me as kids. Last week I had one that was only a few months' old. They're getting more frequent as well. Not to mention, when I try to remember something that happened the day before, I wind up getting an image of what happened years ago. It's becoming a hassle to remember anything," explained Yusuke.

Sighing, Yusuke looked at Kurama. The latter remained silent as he contemplated the words he had just heard while Yusuke's gaze began to wonder again. He faintly heard the guards trample the floor outside in a repetitive fashion. It was obvious they did not trust to leave their master alone with the fearsome Urameshi in their midst. Yusuke frowned slightly at this.

"I must admit, Yusuke, that's quite a problem. When did it start?"

Dark brown eyes turned to meet calm green. "Umm…I'd say…maybe a few weeks ago," he answered, struggling hard to recollect everything that had happened. Thankfully, he was still able to organize his thoughts and memories but those moments where he couldn't scared him. He was never like this before.

"Have you been in any fights?" inquired Kurama.

Yusuke arched an eyebrow at him. "Come on, Kurama. Have I been in any fights? The real question should be, 'Have you _not_ been in any fights?' Practically every other day some youkai pops in from out of the blue to challenge me. If I say no they just charge in," he replied exasperatedly. Originally, he had welcomed the fights but after a few centuries, he began to grow weary from it all.

Kurama offered a small smile. "Have you eaten anything strange?" he asked.

"No."

"Have you been any place strange?"

"…No."

Yusuke scratched his head. He had been doing a lot of extensive traveling the past few months, revisiting old graves and sites. There had been some odd encounters but nothing that could account for what was happening to him. Most of the youkai Yusuke met were reclusive and just seeking word of the outside world. None had put any curses on him as far as he remembered.

"This is getting most intriguing," murmured Kurama. He crossed his arms and thought hard on what Yusuke had told him. It seemed like he was starting to lose track of his memories—causing overlaps in his past and present.

"Hey, maybe I'm just getting too old."

Kurama shook his head and looked at Yusuke darkly. "You have strong blood running through you. Your health as far as I can tell is up to par and youkai don't really start to mix their memories no matter how old they are. It's not a natural cause," he stated before standing up. "You caught me at a bad time, Yusuke. I have to leave in two days—"

"For 'diplomatic reasons'? Let me guess, some renegade regional lord creating havoc in one of the small parts of your lands?" interrupted Yusuke, grinning.

A surprised look was sprawled on Kurama's face before he slowly smiled. "I take it you've encountered something similar?" he asked lightly.

Yusuke nodded quickly and snapped his fingers. "Damn annoying is what it is! I am not cut out for this ruling business. Half the time I just want to leave it to someone else but those damn youkai Raizen left behind won't let me," he retorted before he stood up to meet with Kurama. "Look, it's all right. You don't need to feel guilty on my behalf. I'll just try and find another solution elsewhere."

The redhead narrowed his eyes. "You. Alone?" he asked tightly.

"Um…yes?" replied Yusuke unsurely as he stared at Kurama.

The latter shook his head and placed a hand on Yusuke's shoulder firmly. "I'm afraid I cannot let you leave on your own," he said, his tone laced with concern.

Yusuke looked flustered for a moment before shrugging off Kurama's hand. "Hey, I've dealt with a lot of things on my own before, Kurama. I can take care of myself," he shot back indignantly.

Kurama offered him a sad look. "Yusuke, I'm worried about you. You said so yourself these memory relapses were occurring more frequently. What if it gets to the point where you're on your own and you can't even remember your own name? It may be only for short moments now but later on it might last longer. I don't want you to be alone out there. I want you to remain somewhere safe until I return and then we can really start to work on this mystery," he said forcefully.

For one moment the two stared hard at each other. Finally, Yusuke backed off, hands in the air. "Fine, fine, you damn kitsune. But who would want to watch over me, huh? I'm not a very agreeable person," he replied obstinately.

"You have many friends, Yusuke. Did you think to go to Hiei?"

Yusuke raised both eyebrows. "What? That guy's always busy with some adventure or another. Last time I visited he was off scaling some volcano. And I really don't think he would want to take care of me. And hell, I'm not even sure if I would _want_ him to take care of me," he said, shaking his head.

Kurama smiled slightly. "You underestimate your importance, Yusuke. Hiei may not express it but he does care about you," he remarked softly.

"Kurama—"

"And," cut in the redhead, "he's the closest youkai around here. Getting to his place from mine would only take a day and a half—probably shorter for you since I know you like to charge straight on for hours."

Yusuke frowned slightly. "Kurama… Do you really think it's something unnatural? Because to be quite honest, I don't want forget who I am," he said quietly, his tone serious and without any humor.

Kurama placed an arm around Yusuke bracingly. "Don't worry, you won't lose yourself," he reassured gently.

For several seconds Yusuke remained staring at the floor, analyzing the cracked features.

"I hope Hiei's ready for some trouble."

A soft laugh escaped Kurama as he squeezed Yusuke's shoulder. "I don't think you'll be any different from the other trouble Hiei gets," he joked.

* * *

TBC

Now, don't kill me about the weird setting of the story. In actuality, I should consider this a full AU since I'm not sure whether or not it really corresponds with the anime or manga. So…yeah. Centuries have passed, Yusuke is lonely, Kurama's the same, and who knows what the hell Hiei is doing. Ah, it feels so good to be doing this pairing again.

Next part snippet: Hiei's reaction when Kurama and Yusuke show up at his door? Not good.


	2. Standing Still

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**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part II**

* * *

It was cold where he was now. There wasn't necessarily any wind but the temperature itself was below freezing. The region was nothing more but a pack of floating glaciers and icebergs. There was no shelter for when the sun would go down and absolutely no life whatsoever. It was the solitude that attracted Hiei to this place. Not even the koorime ventured here—they remained confined to their own territory and that was what they wanted. And at this time of the year, Yukina was sure to be with them. Hiei grunted and quickly began speeding down the icy terrain. It ran on for miles without end and he welcomed this prospect.

A sudden breeze blew past him and Hiei immediately drew out his katana and turned to face the intruder with a snarl.

"Nice to see you as alert as ever, Hiei," came an amused tone.

The smaller youkai snorted and sheathed his katana as he faced Mukuro fully. "What are you doing here?" he bluntly asked, a bit annoyed at the interruption in his exercise.

The taller youkai smiled slightly. "You have some guests waiting for you," she said mysteriously.

Hiei arched an eyebrow. "What sort of guests?" he inquired warily. To have Mukuro actually deliver the message to him was rare, which meant she was hiding something. And her shifty eyes did nothing to soothe his qualms.

"Don't worry. It's nothing you can't handle. However, they did seem in a rush to see you," she replied calmly as she prepared to start running back. "I don't suppose you want to keep them waiting?"

Hiei gave a derisive snort as he turned his back on her. "Tell them to wait a bit longer—I'm not through running yet," he retorted indifferently. Whoever the guests were he didn't care. Nothing stopped him from finishing what he began.

A light laughter was sounded behind him. "Very well," said Mukuro before disappearing in a flash into the distance.

The dark-haired youkai watched her for several moments before breaking into his run again. To be honest his curiosity was quipped. Mukuro seldom came to him if something important hadn't happened so some concern was beginning to build up within him as well. Why she had decided now of all times to leave him in control of her charges was something he never did understand. Perhaps she grew bored of the business or perhaps she simply wanted to see how he would be able to take care of himself. Whatever the reason, it made Hiei positively bitter at times. Solitude was lost and Mukuro couldn't have been happier it seemed.

For several minutes the air rushed past him and Hiei forgot everything that haunted his mind. He might as well relax now before having to face off his mysterious visitors back at the main estate. The sun was slowly rising to its zenith and the region became slightly warmer. Hiei narrowed his eyes as he came to halt beside the water. The glacier he stood on was drifting slowly and he rested there for a bit before finally looking back over his shoulder. The idea of going back _home_ was very unwelcoming.

"But I suppose I have no choice," he muttered darkly as he launched into a fast pace.

Everything spun past him wildly. There was no reason to be on guard for the only creatures that lingered in that area were the koorime—and they were probably busy celebrating the return of their ice princess. Hiei narrowed his eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that Yukina would be visiting him soon as well. She always did so every year and he had yet to complain. All she had to do was look sadly at him and his will to argue would dissipate completely. It made him feel somewhat weak and shameful that his own sister had this much control over him—of course, she had no idea. Hiei made sure of that till this very day.

As the estate neared, the youkai suppressed a groan when he spotted the guards rushing towards him.

"Master! There are—"

"Mukuro told me. Go back to your posts," interrupted Hiei coldly as he walked past them. They bowed respectfully before quickly vanishing.

_This had better be good._ Mukuro greeted him upon entering the manor. She bowed slightly with mock reverence. "Your guests await you," she said with a hint of a smirk. The smaller youkai snorted and she then began leading him to one of the rooms on the left of the main floor—a place where Hiei usually partook in his meetings. She paused at the closed doors and looked at the youkai in the eye. "Don't get too mad, Hiei."

With that mysterious message, she turned around and began walking back to her quarters. Hiei stood at the doors pensively before finally turning the handle. The doors opened with a barely audible creak and bright lights entered his vision. Hiei narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the two guests waiting with their backs turned against him while they sat at the conference table. He placed a hand on his hip.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he called out bluntly.

"Gee, you're still as polite as ever, Hiei," came the reply as one of the figures turned around, revealing a dark-haired man the fiery youkai knew all too well.

"Do you handle your politics like this as well?" inquired another voice, also familiar to Hiei.

The small youkai looked at the two figures before him with absolute shock in his eyes. "What are you two doing here?" he asked forcefully, glaring hard at Yusuke.

"Is that any way to treat old friends?" retorted the latter before standing up slowly. He faced Hiei fully and smiled. "My friend!" he exclaimed humorously before enveloping the smaller youkai in a fierce hug.

Hiei squirmed uncomfortably before prying Yusuke off annoyingly. He then looked sharply at Kurama. "All right, what do you want?" he demanded.

The redhead chuckled lightly. "Do you always have to assume people come to you because they want something?" he replied.

"You visited me two weeks ago so I _know_ you want something," stated Hiei firmly.

Kurama smiled and waved to Yusuke. "But what about him? He hasn't seen you in years so how do you know he isn't here for a visit?" he queried.

Hiei stared at Yusuke for a moment before snorting. "Yeah. Right," he replied unconvincingly.

"Aaw, you hurt me, Hiei!" exclaimed Yusuke with a hand over his heart as he pouted deeply.

The smaller youkai eyed him strangely. There seemed to be something off about the other man but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He looked at Kurama and found him smiling back at him knowingly.

"You got us. We do want something from you."

Hiei blinked and crossed his arms, rolling his eyes.

"Will you allow Yusuke to stay with you for a bit while I go off to settle some business?"

The fiery youkai regarded Yusuke for a moment as the latter began to wander about the room in boredom. "Isn't he big enough to take care of himself?" he retorted sourly.

Suddenly, Yusuke marched up to him and frowned deeply at him. "Hey, I heard that, squirt! And yes, I certainly am _big_ enough to take care of myself—I'm double your height for crying out loud. But Kurama won't let me because he's—" he said before the redhead cut him off.

"It's a matter of emergency, Hiei," said Kurama as he looked at the youkai urgently in the eye. "Just do this, please."

Hiei narrowed his eyes. _Is he sick?_ He projected the question mentally and saw Kurama's eyes widen in surprise before he nodded slowly. The smaller youkai cursed under his breath as he gazed upon Yusuke once again. The latter was staring at Kurama resentfully. He appeared to be in perfect health but again that warning signal went off in his mind. There was indeed something strange about his form. Sighing, he looked at Kurama.

"Fine."

The kitsune offered him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Hiei. I'll be back as soon as I can but I really haven't clue how long it'll take to settle this dispute," he said as he took his cloak hanging on the arm of a chair.

"Probably a month," came Yusuke's surprising voice.

Kurama looked at him darkly. "Are you sure?" he asked.

The dark-haired man smiled somewhat bitterly. "Well, I don't know how the youkai in your lands are, but in mine, they're absolutely insane. A month was the shortest time I ever spent settling some disputes between the lords and the people. Maybe your youkai are more agreeable," he replied, shrugging. He then shot Hiei a smirk. "So you're stuck with me, eh?"

The short youkai suppressed a moan of despair as he looked at Kurama. "Be back soon," he said tightly.

"I'll try, Hiei, I'll try," replied Kurama amusedly as he wrapped the cloak around his body. "Now I must depart. Yusuke, try not to give him a hard time."

"You must be joking. I give Hiei a hard time just by standing here," he shot back with a grin.

Kurama shook his head wearily but still managed a smile at his friend. He then turned to face Hiei and bowed slightly. "Take care," he said before leaving the room.

Hiei stared at the back of the kitsune as he turned away before slowly returning his gaze on Yusuke. The latter was busy staring off in the direction Kurama went with a frown. Part of him was curious as to why he seemed concerned but to voice that out would only result in Yusuke teasing him to no end.

"I'm surprised. Kurama didn't bring any of his men with him," said Yusuke.

The latter had apparently given Hiei his answer without him even asking. He then snickered at Yusuke's words. "He's considered to be one of the most powerful youkai. It's the others that have something to fear from him," he replied shortly before placing his hands in his pockets. "Come. I'll take you to your room."

Yusuke looked at Hiei whimsically. "This is beginning to sound like some kind of fairytale. Only there aren't any princes or princesses, only a protective youkai and one that doesn't give a damn," he said as he followed Hiei.

The shorter youkai stared at him only to shake his head in exasperation. The two began heading up a long spiral staircase. Yusuke looked around at the enormous manor with some awe. Unlike Kurama's fortress, this place was almost completely bare. The walls and ceilings were made of stone and the furnishings were simple, dull shades of blues and greens. No brilliance could be spotted anywhere. Even the youkai standing guard seemed to appear like statues with their grey uniforms and stoical expressions.

They entered a wide and empty hallway. Yusuke blinked in mild curiosity as he and Hiei walked down the long corridor. Their steps echoed loudly on the wooden floors, muffled only slightly by the thin black carpet. A large window decorated the end of the hall, where it briefly split into two separate sections. Yusuke eyed the corridor on the left, which was dark and gloomy, and then the one on the right, which could have been its mirror reflection.

Hiei briefly went up to the window and lit up the candle that stood on the table before it. Immediately, both opposite corridors went alight with small burning candelabras hanging from the walls and the air became noticeably dryer. Yusuke looked at Hiei incredulously as he began leading them down the left corridor.

"Hey, you got to teach me that trick," he said in amazement as they walked down the now bright and warm hall.

Hiei arched an eyebrow but didn't say anything as they walked down the long path. They then came to an abrupt stop where a wall stood before them. Yusuke cocked his head to the side confusedly.

"Either you don't know your own house or there's a hidden door around here," he commented ponderingly as he examined the wall much to Hiei's amusement.

The shorter youkai walked up to Yusuke and placed his hand on the wall where a soft glow appeared. A series of strange symbols appeared before disappearing, leaving a wide hole in their wake. Yusuke blinked in surprise and started laughing.

"So no one else but you can enter?" he inquired as they walked in, the hold closing up immediately once they went through.

"Only the inhabitants of the house can enter."

Yusuke eyed Hiei darkly. "You mean I have to ask someone every time to open the door if I want to enter a room?" he queried, slightly miffed at the idea. He crossed his arms. "You know, it's not like I'm going to _take_ anything. You would think I already have everything I need since Raizen left me in charge."

"It's not a matter of trust. It's a matter of keeping up my reputation. You have no idea how many youkai in my region detest you, Yusuke," quipped Hiei mildly as he opened a door to the right. It revealed a large and rather vacant room with a single window opening up to the gardens. "You'll stay here."

The dark-haired man eyed the room quizzically and sat down on the large, plush bed, which was decorated in crimson and black. Yusuke tilted his head to look at the ceiling and noticed a small statue of a gargoyle hanging in the corner. He narrowed his eyes pointedly at the figure.

"Please don't tell me that's a camera," he said dryly.

Hiei snickered. "Afraid of being watched over?" he asked with a smirk.

Yusuke looked at him accusingly. "No, just _who's_ watching over me," he replied before walking over to the window. He looked down at the gardens and arched an eyebrow in question. "I thought we only went up one flight of stairs. Why is this room so high up? Unless that little 'hole' was some kind of portal."

"You're not as dense as I thought you were."

Dark eyes flew in Hiei's direction. "Hey, I was a Reikai Tantei, right?" he replied, a small smirk on his face.

"Then I'll leave you here."

Yusuke's eyes widened as Hiei made a motion to move. "Whoa, wait, how do I get around this place? You mean I _really_ have to ask someone to open the door for me all the time?" he inquired quickly.

Hiei turned around halfway as he met Yusuke's concerned gaze with his own amused one. "Yeah, you do," he answered before leaving the room with a quiet shut of the door.

It was silent for a while before Yusuke suddenly plopped down on the bed recklessly, making everything in the room tremble slightly at the force. He buried his face into the soft pillows before turning around to face the gargoyle, which appeared to be almost smiling at him. He glowered at it dangerously as he rose from the bed, charging up his index finger and targeting it faultlessly.

"Remember who I am. Annoy me too much and you'll be toast," he warned in a low tone.

The gargoyle's eyes turned an eerie red before closing. Yusuke smirked and discharged his attack.

* * *

TBC

Do-do-do-do… (Creepy Twilight Zone theme!) Hiei wasn't as mad as I wanted him to be. Oh well. He's toned down a lot in the past century or so. Heh. And Yusuke's such a bad boy. But that's why we love him! XD

Next part snippet: Uh, I have no idea. Day one in the House of Hiei? I think Yusuke will probably end up lost and causing mayhem for Hiei's youkai. :P


	3. Out Of Control

* * *

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part III**

* * *

Yusuke woke up to a dark room. For a second his mind was at a blank. Then in an attempt to recall everything that had happened, images of the previous day entered his mind. All at once he groaned inwardly and pushed his face into the pillow on his right. He remembered now. He was at Hiei's house, a supposed guest for the time being until Kurama would come back from his trip.

Sighing, the dark-haired man turned over and faced the white ceiling, which was now a dull grey because of the lack of light. A few rays of sunlight peaked in from underneath the curtains and Yusuke couldn't help but wonder to himself. He would probably be alone for a majority of the time. That was fine with him. As long as the youkai didn't bother him, he was glad for the respite. Hopefully things back in his lands were being taken care of. Yusuke didn't like the idea of going back to a burnt down home.

"_Master Yusuke!_"

Jumping, the dark-haired man leapt out of the bed instantaneously and looked around wildly.

"_Master Yusuke, Lord Hiei requests your presence in the dining room._"

Finally, Yusuke looked up and saw the same gargoyle from the day before staring down at him threateningly. He narrowed his eyes at the tone of the voice. "Didn't I tell you before to not annoy me? I could easily track you down now that I've heard your voice," he warned dangerously before sighing. "And why the hell does Hiei want me so early in the morning?"

"_It is twelve in the afternoon, sir_."

Yusuke glared at the gargoyle. "Don't patronize me. All right, fine, I'm going," he said as he slipped on a shirt. He glanced around the room one last time before leaving.

Upon entering the hall, the dark-haired man froze. _Where's the dining room?_ Yusuke thought to himself confusedly for a moment before shrugging and choosing a random direction. If Hiei wasn't courteous enough to send an escort then Yusuke could most definitely afford to make him wait. Smirking, the dark-haired man began walking down the hall leisurely. As expected, all the doors were closed and not a single soul was present. It unnerved him slightly but Yusuke continued nonetheless.

A few minutes later, Yusuke stumbled upon a dead end. He had gone out of his way to make random turns whenever he encountered them and now was at a stalemate. There was a door before him but he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be able to open it so that meant having to go back. Yusuke groaned loudly and punched the door with his fist angrily.

"Why is your house so evil!"

Suddenly, the door swung open. Yusuke blinked in mild surprise at the sudden downpour of sunlight in the dark hallway. He took a step into the light gingerly before feeling the soft earth beneath his feet. Grinning, he walked on more freely and squinted at the sun. Somehow, he had managed to find himself outside. Yusuke chuckled briefly as he recognized some of the land. It was Hiei's garden—the same one he had a perfect view of from his room. He closed the door behind him before sprinting deeper into the haven. It was a beautiful afternoon and everything glittered under the light. Even the shadowy areas appeared to be bright and innocent.

There were tall trees everywhere much to Yusuke's amusement and not much flowers. However, there was a stone fountain in the center. It was in the shape of a diamond and water was currently spouting forth from its tip into the wide pool surrounding it. Yusuke tilted his head to the side and sat down by the edge, feeling the faint tickle of mist as the breeze swept through the air. He was smiling unwittingly to himself as he leaned back and lied down on the side, arms folded underneath his head. Yusuke closed his eyes and listened to the falcons high up in the air as they flew. Everything was peaceful and he wouldn't have minded staying there the entire day.

"Yusuke."

Not even jerking in surprise, Yusuke opened one eye lazily and saw Hiei standing before him. His arms were crossed and he wore a disgruntled expression on his face. Yusuke grinned and waved one hand. "Hey, how's it going, Hiei?" he greeted goodheartedly.

The smaller youkai looked darkly at him. "Your lack of concern for your life amazes me," he replied. "Did you get my message?"

Yusuke nodded slowly as he resumed his laidback posture. "Oh yeah. But how was I supposed to know where the dining room was?" he replied carelessly.

"If you had waited a bit longer, an escort would have guided you."

"Really? Well, you know I'm an impatient guy. Besides, this place opened itself to me welcomingly and I couldn't deny it," retorted Yusuke as he opened his eyes slowly to gaze at Hiei. "Why is it that I was able to enter?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "You punched through it," he stated firmly.

Yusuke arched an eyebrow. "So?" he replied.

"So you broke the seal. You have to learn to curb your strength, Yusuke, otherwise you'll end up opening my entire house to strangers."

The dark-haired man blinked and rose quietly. "Aah…so that's it. Gee, and here I go thinking that the garden sort of 'chose' me to enter. Oh well," he said brightly before standing up. "So why did you want me?"

"To discuss your condition furthermore," answered Hiei tightly. His patience was beginning to wear down dramatically. Yusuke's indifference was not something he wanted to deal with so early in the day.

"Gosh, do you have to make it sound so bad? My condition. It's not like I'm going to _die_ or anything."

Crimson eyes landed on Yusuke's face with dead seriousness. Then without warning he drew out his katana and lashed out at the dark-haired man before him. Yusuke barely even took a glance before quickly dodging the aimed swipe at his head. He stared down at Hiei incredulously.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he cried out amazedly.

The fiery youkai sheathed his weapon. "I needed to vent out some of my frustration so, yes, I guess I was trying to kill you," he replied placidly.

Yusuke gave a weak grin as he shook his head wearily. "Man, just when you think you figure a guy out," he murmured to himself. He raised his eyes and looked at Hiei calmly. "All right, you got my attention. What exactly do you want to know?"

The sudden change in attitude surprised Hiei but he ignored it as he began his query. "What's going on with you? Kurama told me you were sick but he never gave any details," he said, folding his arms.

"Umm…let's see. Basically, it's this: I get these weird and random moments of blankness. When I try to remember something that happened just the day before, an event that occurred months or even years ago pops up. I also get moments where my train of thought just freezes over and a random memory enters my mind," explained Yusuke dully as he avoided eye contact with Hiei. He twiddled with something between his fingers for a moment before sighing.

Hiei thought to himself for a moment. _So this was why Kurama was worried. That damn kitsune worries over everything,_ He looked at Yusuke and began contemplating the possibilities. "You were traveling for the past few months, no?" he inquired.

Yusuke nodded slowly. "Yeah…how did you know?" he replied curiously.

"Yukina informed me a while ago when she tried visiting you."

A mischievous gleam entered Yusuke's eyes. "Yukina, eh? Hmm…I recall her visiting you around this time of year. Maybe it's time for us to do some catching up," he said suggestively.

Hiei glowered at him. "Just because that dimwit is gone doesn't mean you have to take up his post," he warned.

Yusuke grinned. "Well, Yukina is a pretty girl and I haven't really had much interaction with anyone for a while. Love does happen by chance sometimes," he replied nonchalantly. The smaller youkai looked about ready to draw out his katana once again before Yusuke started laughing. "Relax, relax. Even I wouldn't try anything while staying at _your _house."

"Where were you?"

At the sudden question, Yusuke stared at Hiei for a long moment before realizing what his words meant. "I just went all over the Makai. Nothing special. Visited Raizen's grave, a couple of old friends, some shrines, and a few 'haunted forests,'" he answered shortly.

Hiei arched one slim eyebrow. "Haunted forests?" he repeated.

Yusuke burst into a wide grin. "Yeah, only they really weren't haunted. Just some locals making up stories. Granted, some were a little creepy. There were also some weird-looking creatures lingering about. A lot of plants, too. Kurama would have liked it," he said.

"We're going back there."

"Whoa. What?"

Hiei stared at Yusuke harshly. "We're going to revisit those forests," he reinstated resolutely.

Yusuke's eyes widened. "But your lands…who's going to watch over them?" he asked dazedly.

"Mukuro. She has plenty of free time on her hands anyway," replied Hiei. "Get ready. We'll be leaving soon. You do remember where these forests are, right?"

The dark-haired man nodded. "Yeah, but this is a little farfetched, Hiei. You don't even know what we're supposed to be looking for. Not even Kurama had any idea where to start," he said.

"Then it doesn't hurt to do a little investigating. If we find anything remotely unusual in those forests, we're bringing it back."

Yusuke issued forth a short laugh. "Hiei, _everything_ was weird in those forests," he commented.

The fiery youkai narrowed his eyes. "Then you better hope we find something _really_ interesting, Yusuke," he growled out.

The dark-haired man stared at Hiei for a long moment before chuckling softly. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed resignedly. The only other person harder to argue with than Kurama was Hiei. The smaller youkai was even more stubborn than himself and that was definitely a trait worthy of some awe. Yusuke placed a hand on his hip and pouted slightly at Hiei.

"Why do you have to be _so_ forceful? I mean…I've known you for what, a couple of centuries now and you still talk to me like I'm a fourteen-year-old kid," he whined wistfully.

Hiei's eyes flashed in barely suppressed annoyance. His hand twitched by his side but he remained relatively calm as Yusuke cast him a mournful look. It was when Yusuke clamped down on his arm that he finally lost all cool he had. With a vicious swipe, he knocked the taller man to the ground with a resounding punch. Yusuke flew several feet in the air before landing on the ground ungracefully. Hiei watched him with a smirk.

"_Goddamn you_, Hiei," groaned Yusuke as he sat up.

The smaller youkai focused his gaze on the man sharply. "Cut the theatrics. I know that hit didn't even faze you, Urameshi. Now stand up," he said.

Yusuke eyed Hiei warily. "What's with this sudden bout of violence?" he asked curiously.

"You owe me a sparring session. Let's go," came the short reply before Hiei launched himself at Yusuke.

The latter froze in momentary surprise before quickly reacting. Dodging a kick to his side, Yusuke swiftly made his way up onto a tree before running away agilely into clearer grounds. Hiei followed behind him soundlessly and Yusuke couldn't help but suppress a grin. It had been a while since he fought for sport. Fighting with weaker amateurs was nothing compared to fighting with an experienced youkai like Hiei. Yusuke relished the feeling.

"Won't your men be wondering where we are?"

Hiei snorted offhandedly as he tossed off his jacket. "Let them wonder," he said.

Yusuke grinned at the youkai before shrugging. "Okay, then," he replied before breaking into a defensive stance as Hiei flew at him.

The latter was relentless. He attacked Yusuke with full force and the man barely had a chance to see the smaller youkai before finding himself sprawled on the ground in a slight daze. Above him, Hiei smirked.

"Don't tell me you're out of practice," he said condescendingly.

Yusuke managed a small smile. "Well, I didn't I think I was at first. Maybe I am," he retorted playfully as he swung a leg underneath an unwary Hiei. The youkai fell forward just as Yusuke jumped to his feet to perform another attack.

This time Hiei was not caught off guard. He managed to block Yusuke's punches efficiently before the two stood still in a deadlock. Neither refused to back away as they pushed their weight against each other. Yusuke smiled faintly at this. The weight and height difference would normally give him an advantage, but Hiei was definitely a force to be reckoned with. His speed and strength had increased dramatically, leaving Yusuke in awe.

Finally, with what could be considered as an illegal move, Yusuke adeptly changed to the offensive and wiggling fingers caught hold of Hiei. The fiery youkai was at once reduced to a laughing fit as he crumpled to the ground under Yusuke's attack.

"S-Stop! Yusuke!" gasped Hiei as he turned and tried to wriggle away. But Yusuke held on fast with a triumphant look on his face.

"Ah, so you _are_ ticklish. I thought Kurama was just joking around," he drawled out.

Hiei's eyes flew open with unshed tears in his eyes. "I-I'm going to k-kill both o-of you!" he threatened wildly before lifting one leg with amazing speed to push Yusuke back. The attack hit him squarely in the chest and he was forced back several feet before landing in an awkward heap. Hiei sat up heaving as he glared at the unshapely heap. "Get up, idiot. You're not escaping that easily."

"Dude, this was my favorite shirt. Now I got your stinking footprint on it!" exclaimed Yusuke, his voice slightly muffled as he looked down at the stain on his shirt. He stood up slowly and raised a menacing finger at the smaller youkai. "Okay…tickle attack—"

Yusuke's words fell short, however, as he suddenly cringed painfully. A hand flew to the side of his head as he shut his eyes. It was another memory surfacing from nowhere. This time the images of his fight with Toguro appeared, but it was slightly different from before. He could feel the fear, the apprehension, and the adrenaline pumping through his body like he was actually there in the exact moment. Yusuke opened his eyes and for a second all he saw and heard was the decrepit ring and the roar of the crowd around him. Then the scene slowly melted away and the dark-haired man found himself gripping Hiei around the neck tightly. The youkai's eyes were wide in shock and Yusuke dropped him with a start.

"H-Hiei! I'm so sorry! I…I don't know…"

"Was that what you were talking about before? The sudden memories appearing out of nowhere?" interrupted Hiei as he massaged his throat, his tone once again impassive.

Yusuke nodded grimly. "But…I've never actually attacked anyone before. They usually last only a few seconds. This time, though… I could _feel_ everything. Like I was living the memory again," he said, amazement in his voice.

"What memory showed up?" inquired Hiei.

"My fight with Toguro."

_Go figure_, thought Hiei as he outwardly frowned. When Yusuke first froze in his train of words, he had grown worried. Then when had had tried speaking to him, the man assaulted him with an unimaginable force that completely caught him by surprise. _If he hadn't come to his senses, I don't know what would have happened to me._ Yusuke hadn't been his normal, controlled self. The look in his eyes reminded Hiei of when he had first been taken in possession during his fight with Sensui. Dangerous, furious, and utterly uncontrollable.

"I'm sorry," whispered Yusuke as he buried his face into his hands.

Hiei felt a streak of concern for his friend. "We'll leave tomorrow," he stated simply.

Yusuke looked up at him in alarm. "You _still_ want to do this?" he asked weakly.

The fiery youkai hardened his gaze. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do. And Kurama would have my neck if I didn't help you," he replied.

"Ah, of course," murmured Yusuke quietly. He felt a brief stab of pain at Hiei's words, but ignored it. They had drifted apart; he couldn't have expected anything more than the youkai's nonchalance. "I guess I have to pack again. Not that I have much anyway."

The last sentence was said with a grin. Hiei frowned inwardly. Kurama would have accepted Yusuke's attempts at humor as him trying to change the topic, but Hiei was more obstinate. Though he would have ordinarily interrogated Yusuke further, he decided to drop his insistence this once. The dark-haired man looked far too pale and he still hadn't had a bite to eat. Hiei sighed to himself. _I've become too soft._ Picking up his jacket, the shorter youkai stared Yusuke down.

"I imagine you're hungry," he said calmly.

Yusuke's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Let's go eat!" he exclaimed excitedly as he rushed forward, dragging Hiei behind him impatiently.

The fiery youkai wondered where his compassionate side was coming from but that thought soon faded away as he caught glimpse of Yusuke's smile. He really did not want that happiness to fade away. He would play by Yusuke's rules until tomorrow came. Then hopefully more answers would be given to him.

* * *

TBC

This story probably won't be updated as frequently anymore. School's begun and boy, is it hell. There have also been some family problems to deal with as well. I do promise to keep writing as often as I can, though. It's sort of turned into my own personal haven. My escape from real life. Thanks, and please review!

Next Part Snippet: Hmm…an old acquaintance joins the scene? Stay tuned to see who Yusuke and Hiei encounter in the "Forest of Doom." Heh, what a cheesy name. (It's not really called that by the way. I'll find a more professional name for my forest. :P)


	4. White Out

* * *

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part IV**

* * *

"While riding in my Cadillac, what to my surprise…"

Hiei rolled his eyes upwards in a silent gesture for mercy. Yusuke continued singing his song joyfully without any notice to his friend's obvious discomfort.

"He must have wanted to pass me out as he kept on tooting his horn—_beep, beep_…"

The scenery around them was tranquil, almost picturesque in its brightness and quality. The trees were old and stood proudly above their reach, the foliage efficiently blocking out the hot afternoon sun. Hiei had long abandoned his jacket and walked on in his undershirt with his katana propped on a shoulder. Yusuke had opted to go shirtless and was seen running ahead into the lush shrubbery singing his heart out. His voice fell flat in the humid air and numerous birds twittered in the background. Hiei was soon starting to regret his rash decision in leaving so quickly.

"Beep, beep. _Beep, beep._ His horn went beep, beep, bee—"

Having his patience run out, Hiei promptly smacked his sheathed katana against Yusuke's neck. The latter let out a strangled gasp before taking a step back while massaging his neck. "_Ow_, Hiei. Now that actually hurt," he said hurtfully, his voice scratchy.

A brief streak of guilt erupted through Hiei before he blocked it out. "Stop your insolent behavior. You're attracting enemies," he said gruffly.

Yusuke threw a glare at the youkai and raised his arms in disbelief at the scene around them. "What enemies? Those little birds? The buzzing insects? Or maybe the _stifling humidity_?" he cried out.

Hiei tightened the grip he had on his katana. "Yusuke," he warned in a low tone.

The latter stared down at him mockingly. "What is it, oh wise one?" he replied sarcastically.

"Is this one of the forests you went to?"

Hiei had chose to deter pursuing his argument with Yusuke. It would only have proved to be meaningless and utterly juvenile on behalf of his character. It seemed, however, that Yusuke had not matured much in the past three centuries.

"What? Oh, yeah. Yes, this is one of the forests. But I'm telling you there's nothing here! All I encountered last time was a lot of bug bites and screeching birds."

The fiery youkai suppressed a sigh. It had taken them nearly two days to arrive in this region. Yusuke had proved to be a far from companionable traveler and had surprised Hiei in the pace which he went—sometimes not even pausing to take a break after four grueling hours of trekking through uneven grounds. And he didn't speak much at all during the time they walked. Only a few words here and there in reply to Hiei's questions, but definitely unlike the chatter he was making now. The youkai was puzzled by this strange switch of personality.

"Then I suppose we should take a small break. Is there any water around here?"

It made Hiei feel somewhat vulnerable to be at such odds with his surroundings. He had traveled all around the Makai but had never once stopped in such a forest. Normally, he would pass through them quickly and break only when he found a cave or such. Yusuke certainly chose some very peculiar places to visit. At this point, he probably knew more about the Makai than Hiei.

"There's a small creek up ahead," replied Yusuke brightly. He began to lead the way and Hiei followed slowly, watching the taller man before him.

Ever since Yusuke's last attack in the garden, he had been completely normal. There hadn't been a single incident of any memory lapses and the dark-haired man even appeared slightly healthier. His skin was glowing and the grievous look in his eyes had disappeared for the time being. That in itself made the youkai breathe more easily. Yusuke was never meant to look anything but cheerful. Hiei had learned that a long time ago.

"You know, even if we don't find anything it'll still be fun, no? I mean, when was the last time we did anything together?"

Hiei raised his head to look upon Yusuke's warm gaze. He narrowed his eyes slightly and kept the smile that was itching to surface down under. "Perhaps. That is…as long as you stop singing," he replied, humoring Yusuke with his words.

"Come on! I don't sing that bad!" he exclaimed indignantly, though he was laughing.

The shorter youkai raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what your definition of bad is," he muttered under his breath.

Yusuke leaned in closer to him. "Excuse me? Did you say something, HIEI?" he asked loudly into the youkai's ear.

Hiei cringed and grabbed the arm Yusuke had placed on him and flipped the other man onto the ground. Yusuke looked up at him amusedly, already accustomed to the youkai's violent gestures. He closed his eyes and spread his arms about him comfortably.

"Hey, the ground's pretty cool," he commented.

A rough kick to his ribs was his reply. Yusuke's eyes flew open and he rubbed his side irritably. "Dammit, Hiei, you weren't this violent before!" he exclaimed.

"And you weren't this easily distracted. Now let's go."

Yusuke was once again dragged up from the ground and began his former duty of finding the creek before Hiei forcibly made him do it. He walked on ahead grumpily while muttering to himself a few times in a foreign language. Hiei guessed that it might have been English but didn't give it much thought. As soon as the trickling sound of water reached his ears he stopped. A small rivulet of water cut into the ground before them. It was narrow but the water was clean and refreshing. Hiei refilled his canteen quietly and took several sips before facing Yusuke, who was drowning his head in the pool. He resisted placing a hold on the man's neck to keep him from surfacing. Even Kuwabara had never irked him this much.

"AAH! Now that _is_ good!"

Yusuke raised his head from the creek and wiped his mouth in satisfaction. Water dripped all over his face onto his bare chest and stomach, glistening lightly in the partial shade. Hiei watched him silently. Sometimes Yusuke could appear so remarkably innocent that it unnerved him. The man was no longer a _man_ despite being in his ningen form, and Hiei often forgot this fact. Yusuke acted far too young for someone of his age and stature and it made him wonder exactly how much he hid from others. It was obvious to Hiei from day one when he first met Yusuke that the human was not what he made himself seem. In fact, the dark-haired man might as well have been more closed off than himself.

"How much of what you do and say is sincere, Yusuke?"

At the quiet inquiry, Yusuke froze and eyed Hiei strangely. "What?" he asked.

Hiei shook his head and continued walking ahead. "Never mind. Now, how far is the next forest?" he carried on, his tone clipped.

Yusuke stared at his back for a long moment before bounding up energetically next to him. "Maybe a day's journey. Of course, I do want some sleep so we'll probably be there by tomorrow night," he replied.

"Hn," murmured Hiei.

The two walked on in silence for another half hour, simply admiring the scenery and enjoying the other's company. The sun's rays peaked in through narrow streams of steady light through the thick leaves from the trees' canopies. Occasionally a few birds or butterflies would make their presence known but it was an otherwise blissfully peaceful walk. The air was hot and sweet, filled with exotic scents from the myriad of flowers surrounding them.

There was something amiss in the area, though. Hiei had felt it when they first entered. He sensed a presence lingering in the air, hidden behind the trees. Prickly goosebumps played along the back of his neck and he tensed visibly as they continued walking. Yusuke went on obliviously and Hiei couldn't help but question the man's carefree attitude. The presence was steadily growing stronger yet he showed no outward signs of concern. Hiei narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the hilt of his katana instinctively. A low growled escaped from his throat as a cold breeze swept past them.

"And two plus two makes four," Hiei heard Yusuke mutter. But before he could query, two figures made themselves known.

"I was wondering who was singing so loudly before. I should have known it'd be you, the great Urameshi!"

Yusuke laughed goodheartedly. "So it was you two. Why did you stay quiet for so long, huh?" he replied, placing his hands on his hips in an imperative manner.

Jin grinned back heartily and smacked Touya's back. "We couldn't figure out who you were with so we made a bet. I said Hiei and he said Kurama. We followed you for a bit and obviously, I am the victor," he replied triumphantly while Touya rolled his eyes.

Yusuke chuckled. He had missed Jin's humor. And suddenly, as if reading his mind, Jin leapt off the branch he was standing on to embrace Yusuke in a friendly hug. "Where have you been, eh? If I hadn't heard so many stories about the 'Great Urameshi' and his 'infinite power' I would have thought you died!" he exclaimed good-naturedly.

The dark-haired man pulled away from Jin with a smirk. "Oh, I've been busy. I have to run a kingdom now," he replied a bit sourly.

Jin laughed jollily. "Is that so? Well, then I guess I shouldn't feel too bad for you!" he replied.

"What are you and Hiei doing here, Yusuke?" inquired Touya in his calm manner.

Yusuke glanced once at Hiei before shrugging. "Hiei wanted a tour of the Makai," he answered simply.

Jin snorted in disbelief and pointed a finger at Hiei. "_Him_ want a tour of the _Makai_? His own homeland? That doesn't make sense, Yusuke," he said blatantly.

"Hey, I used to live in the Ningenkai and I _still_ haven't been to all the places there," retorted Yusuke smartly.

Jin furrowed his eyebrows and Touya smiled.

"So what are you guys doing here anyway?" continued Yusuke. He had forgotten how much fun he had when he was these two. Add in Chuu, Suzuki, Shishiwakamaru, and Rinku, then they would have a ball.

"I heard of a wild herb growing here. It's supposed to hold powerful healing properties. I thought it would come in handy if it turned out to be real," replied Touya.

"And I just came because I was bored out of my mind," added Jin.

Yusuke grinned at his two friends. "Hey, that's cool. Maybe Hiei and I can help you," he offered.

"That'd be great!" exclaimed Jin immediately as he placed an arm around Yusuke's shoulders. "Hanging around Touya gets so _dull_ you know."

The latter glowered at Jin's back. Hiei arched an eyebrow and thought to himself. An herb with powerful healing properties? If it was real then it might be able to help Yusuke. He eyed the dark-haired man warily. He was talking excitedly with Jin and there was no trace of him being sick anywhere in his body language. It was good he didn't mentioned it to Jin and Touya. Though they were honorable youkai and close friends, Hiei didn't want anyone else to know about Yusuke's condition yet.

"Ah, dammit, I just remembered something. I have to get going. I promised Chuu I would drop by today for this special recipe I have," quipped Jin suddenly as he smacked his forehead. He looked at Yusuke apologetically. "Sorry, pal. Maybe next time?"

The dark-haired man nodded understandingly. "Sure thing. You know where I am. Just come by whenever you feel the need," he said before facing Touya. "And you?"

"I'm afraid I have to go as well. Leaving both Jin and Chuu alone with a recipe usually calls for trouble," he replied with a glimmer in his eye.

Yusuke laughed. "I can imagine. And what kind of recipe is this anyway?" he inquired.

"Alcoholic cherry-apple pie," answered Jin.

Both Yusuke and Hiei stared at him for a moment before reacting. "Um…okay. I think I should have known better to ask. But if that's the case, then Touya, you _really_ do need to go with Jin," remarked Yusuke with a grin.

"Of course. We'll come by to visit you, Yusuke. I'm sure Chuu will bring his entire wine collection," said Touya with a chuckle as he and Jin made their leave. "Have fun!"

"Say, what does that flower look like?" called out Yusuke.

Touya shrugged. "Blue petals and bright green pistils. It should be pretty conspicuous but it's never been found," he replied before grinning slightly. "Don't struggle _too_ hard to find it. I'm willing to bet it's just a fluke."

"You never know!"

"That is true."

"See you, Urameshi!"

Yusuke waved goodbye at the two youkai and smiled softly to himself for a while before facing Hiei, who was staring at him intently. He cocked his head to the side. "So how about it? Want to try hunting down this flower?" he inquired before snapping his fingers. "Damn, if only Kurama were with us. He would track it down instantly."

Hiei nodded slightly and eyed the sunlight beaming in through the leaves. It was nearing late afternoon and the air around them was becoming thicker. "It would—" he began before being cut off.

Perhaps it was because of the stifling atmosphere or his focus on Yusuke, but the fiery youkai soon found himself sprawled out on the ground hazardously with a long needle stuck in the back of his neck. He lied facedown in the dirt unconscious while Yusuke ran to him in horror.

"Hiei!" he exclaimed in dismay as he turned the youkai over. The blood from his face was quickly draining away, leaving him pale and cold. Yusuke removed the needle from his neck and examined it carefully. On the tip was Hiei's blood but there was also another fuchsia-colored liquid blending in with it. "What the hell," he murmured in astonishment.

"I was aiming for you, Urameshi, but that youkai got in the way at the last second," interjected a new voice.

Yusuke looked up slowly and saw a youkai standing before him with several needles in hand. His long auburn hair was swept into a braid and he glared at the dark-haired man with furious azure eyes. Yusuke stood up and placed Hiei gently against the foot of a tree before facing the youkai angrily.

"What was in that needle?" he inquired sharply.

The youkai smiled evilly. "Poison. There is no cure by the way. That youkai will die in several hours. Pity, isn't it?" he said, brandishing the needles in his hand menacingly. "Why don't you join him!"

With that, he threw five straight needles at Yusuke. The dark-haired man took a deep breath and morphed into his youkai form effortlessly while dodging the needles easily. His opponent gaped at the empty spot before him while Yusuke glided languidly behind him and placed an inescapable lock on him.

"You sure you don't want to hand over the antidote?" he inquired in a dangerous tone. His manner was entirely different now. Rage filled his senses at Hiei's present state.

The youkai trembled pathetically. "I'm telling you the truth! There is no cure!" he exclaimed weakly as he feebly tried fighting back.

Yusuke leaned in closer to the youkai's neck. "Too bad for you," he whispered into the youkai's ear before fluidly firing his Rei-Gun behind his back. The youkai disintegrated into the air with an anguished cry, leaving no trace of him ever being there.

Changing back to his ningen form, Yusuke rushed over to Hiei and examined his body. His skin was a ghastly grey shade and he was shuddering sporadically in obvious pain. Yusuke narrowed his eyes in concern and placed the youkai down on the ground gingerly, making him as comfortable as possible before leaning back and closing his eyes. He placed one arm out before him and began muttering in a strange tongue, a steady green glow emitting from his outthrust hand. He then stopped and stood up swiftly, sparing one glance at Hiei's form before breaking into a run.

_Touya, I hope that flower of yours exists and actually works._

* * *

TBC

Na, na, na, here's Part IV:P I love Jin. I love Touya. They're just funny in my eyes and perfect for comical relief. Anyhow, Hiei got his share of pain this time round. How I love torturing characters! XD Okay, enough babbling from me…

Snippet: A nice conversation between Yusuke and Hiei. (Gosh, haven't they been doing that since the second part?)

The song Yusuke was singing by the way, is called "Beep, Beep" by the Playmates. Made me laugh, and it really does annoy people. Ask my friend at school.


	5. To Rid The Disease

* * *

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part V**

* * *

Hiei was spinning out of control. He felt it everywhere—the coldness of the air, the sudden rush as it passed him by, and the trembling aftereffects on his body. He was being spun round and round like a ceaseless top dancing across the surface of a table. All he heard was silence while the darkness encircled him. There was no relief in this play and he grew weary from it all. The silence, the coldness, the darkness.

And suddenly, a small beam of warmth hit him. It was gentle and soothing and Hiei felt all his anxiety melt away in a single second. The feeling engulfed him entirely and he began to see the light again. It opened up to him slowly but soon he became aware of everything around him. The softness of the earthy ground, the now cool and damp air, and the still lingering scent of the exotic plants in the forest.

He eased his eyes open and saw a figure leaning over him. For a moment, Hiei became alarmed. The youkai had long white hair and strange marking adorning his face—none he had ever seen before. But his panic soon dissipated when he looked into the youkai's eyes. Yusuke's eyes. He blinked slowly and the latter moved away, reverting back to his former self as did so.

"Awake finally," he heard Yusuke mutter.

Recalling what had happened earlier, Hiei did his best to look at Yusuke in the eye. "What happened?" he asked hoarsely. He wondered how long he was out.

"You got hit by a poisoned needle. The youkai's dead so don't worry too much about that," replied Yusuke in a strangely detached tone.

Hiei studied him carefully and then looked down at his body. He was lying on a makeshift bed made up of large leaves and Yusuke's shirt had been placed on him as a blanket. The soft glow of the fire stood a few feet away from him. He tried lifting an arm and was surprised at the difficulty in such a simple movement. With some trouble he managed to sit up, all the while glaring at Yusuke, who looked ready to help him at any moment's glance.

"So how did you get the antidote?"

"Touya's flower works miracles."

The fiery youkai stared at Yusuke in amazement. "It's real then?" he asked.

Yusuke reached over behind him and pulled out a small flower. The blue petals and bright green pistils were there and it looked strangely fragile in Yusuke's hand. "I found it after some trouble. It lives in dark places and I wouldn't have even discovered it had I not fallen into a cave and come out with blue petals decorating my pants," he said with a small smile. Relief hit him like a tidal wave. He had been watching Hiei almost nonstop for five days and it was beginning to take a toll on him.

"Did you try it?"

"Yeah. It tastes like shit, though. You were complaining also despite being unconscious."

Yusuke chuckled briefly at the remembrance of Hiei nearly coughing up the entire drink he had made from the flower's nectar. The taste was horrible but it had aided in Hiei's recovering immensely. At first Yusuke was worried it hadn't worked when the youkai became worse, but after several hours, Hiei had calmed down enough to sleep peacefully. And from there on he only became better.

"Has it helped?"

"Well, I haven't had any memory lapses."

The dark-haired man folded his hands and rested his head on them, blocking Hiei's view of his face partially. Guilt wracked through him and Yusuke felt ready to burst into apologies. He had no idea what he would have done if Hiei had died. He never even wanted to imagine it. But that youkai had nearly succeeded in doing just that. Yusuke doubted the youkai even knew it was Hiei he had hit. It was fortunate that Yusuke did kill him. Had he lived, he would have had hell to pay with Mukuro and the rest of Hiei's men.

"Yusuke?" inquired the fiery youkai quietly.

The dark-haired man only buried his face deeper into his hands. "I'm sorry. Hiei, I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice muffled but still audible.

"What for?" he asked, genuinely surprised and taken back by the taller man's words.

Yusuke looked at him weakly. "The youkai was after me. You got hit instead. It's my fault. If you weren't with me, you wouldn't have this kind of trouble. I know you already have enough to deal with," he said ruefully. "It would have been better if you just left me alone. People close to me tend to get hurt."

The last sentence was said with such a resounding bitterness that it surprised Hiei more than anything else. Once the rest of Yusuke's words sank in, though, he felt a snarl make its way to his face. "What do you mean, idiot? You think I don't face these kinds of things on my own? And regardless of what you say, I don't leave behind comrades in need of help," he said tightly, trying to mask his emotions.

Yusuke looked at him sadly. "Right, comrades," he repeated slowly, pain unmistakably evident in his tone.

"I don't leave friends behind," said Hiei suddenly.

It had erupted from nowhere, this sensitive side. He could see the pain in Yusuke's eyes and it hurt him as well. It was bizarre, though. He never acted this way with anyone else. Only with Yusuke did he feel the compelling need to be more expressive. The dark-haired man needed it. He was lost in a darkness and Hiei was determined to lead him out.

"Hiei…"

The shorter youkai looked at him and realized for the first time how pale the man was. His face was gaunt and it looked as if he hadn't slept in days. Hiei grew worried immediately but allowed himself to stay quiet about it until he found out more.

"How long have I been out?" he inquired casually.

"Five days," answered Yusuke as he succeeded in failing to suppress a yawn.

The smaller youkai narrowed his eyes. "Tired?" he asked offhandedly.

"Hey, you know how it is. Taking care of sick people is no small feat. I have a great respect for doctors and nurses now. Hell, I have a great respect for all moms and dads who take care of their kids now," replied Yusuke without missing a beat. He put on a happy expression, but Hiei could read straight through it. The man was exhausted. He looked about ready to collapse any moment.

Hiei closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the strength return to his body. He then stood up slowly from his spot much to Yusuke's chagrin and began walking towards him until he was standing right before the man. He then placed a hand under Yusuke's chin and lifted his face up to meet him in the eye.

"Sleep," he said in a low tone. Yusuke looked more horrible than he thought. Even in the firelight his face was pale and the shadows under his eyes gave him a dead appearance. He pursed his lips apprehensively.

"But…," began Yusuke before Hiei stopped him by roughly dropping his chin.

"Don't make me say it twice. Did you get any sleep while taking care of me?" he said coldly.

Yusuke frowned slightly. "I did," he insisted before holding in another yawn.

"You've watched over me long enough. How do you expect to defend yourself if you can barely stay awake?"

The words were said harshly and Yusuke at once fell to silence. He merely nodded and stood up slowly with a sigh. He then leaned his head back and looked at the full moon shining down on them. They were in a glade and the trees didn't block the sky as prominently here. He smiled at the silver sphere and then looked down at Hiei.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," he said before shaking his head at the absurdity of his words.

Hiei raised an eyebrow at him but decided not to question the man any further.

"You know…"

Yusuke's words drifted off for a moment. His eyes turned hazy and he looked back at the moon silently. Hiei blinked once, unsure of what to make of the man's abrupt pause and hesitantly placed a hand on his arm.

"Yusuke?" he muttered worriedly.

The dark-haired man blinked and suddenly looked at Hiei with a smile. "Ah, sorry. Just sort of dazed off. I think I do need some sleep," he said apologetically as he quickly walked away from Hiei. He sat down on the ground beside a fallen log and pulled his legs up to his chest. "See you in the morning," he called out quietly before placing his head on top of knees tiredly. His eyes closed at once and even breathing was sounded in less than a minute.

Hiei watched him with mild concern. He never once recalled worrying this much over one person—save maybe Yukina. But this feeling was different. Yusuke was strong and impetuous; he wasn't supposed to be weak and sick. It didn't suit him at all. Even when severely injured, Yusuke always carried a hopeful smile with him. Now that light seemed to be gone from his eyes. He existed in the world the same way a ghost might—just drifting from place to place without a single care. Hiei wondered when this change took place. Perhaps Yusuke wasn't meant to live out a youkai's life. The pain of having to watch his mortal loved ones pass on could have put a strain on his own soul.

With a tired sigh, Hiei ventured back to his spot and lied down on the folded leaves. He looked once at Yusuke's shirt that lied before him and took it slowly, examining it carefully. Such a small gesture yet it warmed his heart greatly. Hiei had rarely experienced compassion from other people in his long life without them expecting something back. Yusuke, Kurama, Yukina, and Mukuro. They were the important people in his life now. But sometimes he forgot what it felt like to be cared over. He glanced at Yusuke and a small smile graced his features for a split second.

"Hiei?"

Surprised, the shorter youkai narrowed his eyes at Yusuke as the latter turned his head to face him. "What is it?" he asked brusquely. How Yusuke could always catch him off guard was a mystery he would never solve.

"Do you ever miss them? I mean I know you guys weren't that close but still… We did have some good times together."

Hiei naturally knew what Yusuke meant. He considered it for a few minutes. "That idiot might have been slow, but I do respect him as a human and as a fighter. As for the others, I don't really care. They were more yours and Kurama's friends than mine," he answered truthfully.

Yusuke snorted and raised his head to look at Hiei fully. "You would never have admitted that to Kuwabara if he was alive would you?" he asked with a smile.

"Why do you think I'm telling you that now?"

Laughing ensued and even Hiei couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"I wonder what they're doing," murmured Yusuke quietly as he looked at the starlit sky. "Are they having fun together? Annoying the hell out of Koenma? I wish I could see them."

"You could always call on Koenma and ask."

Yusuke arched an eyebrow at Hiei's suggestion. "What? And admit to him that I actually miss them? He and I made a bet a long time ago you know. It was to see whether or not I could refrain from calling him to see the others for five centuries. As you can see it's only been three so far. And if I do lose that bet now, I have to be his assistant for a week," he said with a groan. "A week with Koenma. It's worse than anything fate could hand over to me."

"So you believe in fate?"

Hiei repressed his smirk as Yusuke looked at him in surprise.

"I believe that all of us have some kind of destiny. Whether we get there or not, though, depends on us."

Yusuke's answer pleased Hiei, though he didn't show it. He merely grunted and threw a glare in Yusuke's direction. "Sleep now," he ordered.

"Aye, aye, captain."

The dark-haired man grinned once at Hiei before closing his eyes once again. A few minutes later, the sound of his soft breathing alerted Hiei of his resumed slumber. The fiery youkai rested against the ground and stared up at the sky dreamily. His body was still recuperating from having the poison in his system and weariness seeped in quickly. Hiei closed his eyes, intent on getting a full night's worth of sleep. Tomorrow they would have to pick up their pace. Though Yusuke had claimed not having any relapses, he did not want to take any chances. A gut instinct was telling him to be wary and Hiei had no intention of letting it go.

* * *

TBC

My goodness! I certainly am sincerely apologetic to the delay. I didn't even realize that it had been over a month since I last updated. And I've been trying to keep up with that whole "one chapter a month deal." Time passes by too quickly. I wish it would slow down a little more. XD But in any case, this chapter probably has the most hinting toward the building relationship between Hiei and Yusuke than all the others. Unfortunately, things will begin to slow down again. Why? Because a third member to the party will be making his reemergence in the next part! I think you all can figure out who it is. :D


	6. Reunion

* * *

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part VI**

* * *

Yusuke was not in a good mood. Hiei had long recovered from his near encounter with death, and it was now Yusuke who felt sick. They had been traversing nearly every forest in the Makai for the past two weeks and the dark-haired man felt more than a little deprived from civilization; he wanted to be around people again, no matter how brute or uncouth the youkai may be. Hiei was not adequate enough for this purpose. The smaller youkai was focused in on their quest to the point where Yusuke could barely even stand to be around him. Hiei was sometimes far too intense for anyone's liking and Yusuke had known that for a while now, but had never experienced it so fully as in that moment.

"Do you like music, Hiei?"

Out of the sheer need for some kind of conversation, Yusuke had prompted the least expected question from his silent companion. Hiei raised an eyebrow from where he stood atop a tall tree branch, but did not answer. Yusuke sighed and leaned against the foot of the tree.

"There's nothing here you know. I remember this forest being the dullest one of the lot," he remarked offhandedly.

"That might just be altered information in your mind."

Yusuke's eyes flew upwards as he glared at the youkai. "I don't know how Kurama can stand to be around you so much. Do you ever just talk about normal things?" he scolded.

Hiei's gaze across the forest never wavered. "There is a task at hand, Yusuke," he replied nonchalantly, though there was a hint of exasperation in his tone.

"Gee, I never would have expected _you_ to work so hard for me," muttered Yusuke under his breath.

Unnoticeably, Hiei's ears perked at the quietly spoken statement and he looked hard at Yusuke for a moment. True, he was not the most amiable of companions, but he was loyal to those who had managed to make their way into his heart. It shocked him to hear such words to be uttered from Yusuke, a person whom Hiei thought to have understood him better than most. The small youkai narrowed his eyes and resumed in his search for any suspicious beings in the forest. He would have to address this issue later with Kurama—he was never much for making encounters on emotions; it was something rare and untouched upon for him.

"I want to go back to the Ningenkai."

Hiei glanced at Yusuke briefly. The latter was staring up at the sky dazedly. "There's nothing there," he remarked impassively.

Yusuke blinked once and smiled mysteriously. "You mean there's _no one_ there—not for me anyway. But there's definitely _something_ there," he said wisely before turning his gaze onto Hiei. "There's the lands, the oceans, the skies… I want to see everything. I didn't get to do this while everyone was alive because, well, I had to take care of them. But now…I have nothing to hold me back. I want to visit the States, Europe, everywhere!"

The man's tone had taken on a passionate level. Hiei marveled at the sudden change in his behavior and smiled slightly at Yusuke.

"How about you Hiei? Any goals you wish to accomplish?"

The smaller youkai had been expecting that inquiry. And when he looked at Yusuke again, the man was staring at him seriously. Hiei closed his eyes while crossing his arms.

"I have goals which are to not be publicly announced, as should you, Yusuke," he answered bluntly.

"Were you and Kurama lovers?"

It was quite possibly the most unanticipated question Hiei had ever faced in his entire long life. And when he heard it from Yusuke, he nearly lost all his composure just from the shock of it. The dark-haired man changed his mind so frequently, it was hard to keep track of what he was thinking one moment to the next. Just when Yusuke proved to be of a simple and understandable character, he completely surprised Hiei with his irregular pattern of thought. The fiery youkai frowned at the notion, but found it slightly ironic that an old friend thought to have been predictable was slamming him, the entitled "mysterious one," into a corner.

"Why do you ask?"

Yusuke tilted his head to the side and smiled. "It's something that I've always thought about ever since I first met you and Kurama oh-so long ago. I mean, let's face it, no one can tolerate being around you _that_ long without having some kind of affection for you," he replied knowingly.

Hiei's eyebrow twitched. "You've been around me for a while," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but half the time I'm shouting at you. Kurama and you, though, you guys just always seemed to have some kind of connection," shot back Yusuke quickly. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "So? Were you—or rather—_are_ you?"

Hiei barely resisted from grabbing his katana and swinging it at the shrewd man below him. Instead, he turned away and studied the sky, a faint warning in the back of his mind. It was near late afternoon and the setting sun's rays were spilling forth over the horizon, casting it into a splay of purple and red hues. Hiei's instincts were on alert and the youkai frowned outwardly and automatically unsheathed his katana against an invisible foe.

Below him, Yusuke watched on with the same wariness. He then narrowed his eyes and shook his head to clear off the blurry images crossing his vision. A resounding pain was echoing across his skull as he tried to maintain his balance and before long, the dark-haired man found himself lying on the ground. Flurries of memories flew at him and he cringed painfully, not noticing Hiei watching him coolly a few feet away.

Dread grew deep within the fiery youkai as he witnessed his friend's pain. His katana was still out and ready for battle and that warning in his mind still had not receded. Hiei turned his gaze away from Yusuke and scanned the area darkly. Perhaps the one who did this to Yusuke was near by. Suddenly, a loud crunch was sounded a few yards off. Hiei clenched his katana firmly and looked sidelong at Yusuke. It would be a risk to leave him alone, and taking him with him would slow him down. Hiei cursed to himself.

"I thought leaving Yusuke to you would be a good idea, Hiei, but perhaps that was an error on my behalf."

Hiei turned around in surprise and found Kurama standing before him in his youkai counterpart. In his grip was a fallen young demon, squirming about uncomfortably. Hiei stared at her resentfully.

"You're the one I detected," he muttered.

Kurama turned his blazing golden eyes on Hiei before looking back at Yusuke. A flash of concern crossed his features. "Hiei… Yusuke is…," he murmured unsurely, watching the dark-haired man gripping the sides of his head painfully while barely discernable whimpers escaped his lips.

The fiery youkai didn't even glance back at him. He focused in on the youkai in Kurama's grip. "You know what's causing him this pain. You know who did it. He never reacted like this before. He usually only relives several moments of his memories—this time he's in complete pain, which means you must be related to the one who did this to him," he said slowly, his tone hardening with every word.

The young youkai glared at Hiei haughtily. "How do you know it wasn't me?" she challenged.

"Because your youki is too weak for such a curse, and Hiei is never wrong," interjected Kurama calmly.

The female youkai looked around wildly between her captors before settling her eyes on Yusuke. A slow smile made its way across her face. "You can't do anything to help him anyway. He'll be dead soon enough," she spat out bitterly.

Her words disgusted Hiei, but he never showed a glimmer of emotion on his face as he made a quick motion, rendering her unconscious. Kurama watched him steadily. "You're not in a good mood I see," he murmured before heading over to where Yusuke was lying. His crying had ceased now and he remained still, staring up at the sky while drawing in deep, calming breaths. When he saw Kurama bending down over him, he looked up at him with a small smile.

"So, Youko has decided to made his appearance," he remarked dryly.

Kurama smiled back gently and helped Yusuke stand up. "The conference didn't last as long as you said it would, Yusuke. Though I have to admit, it would have had I not made some very outrageous suggestions," he replied back.

Yusuke swayed lightly on his feet before regaining his balance. He eyed Kurama with laughing eyes. "Oh? You must tell me all about it later—I do _love_ the ruling business you know so any advice I can get is handy," he said sarcastically before glancing at the unconscious demon. "Who's this?"

"Someone linked to whoever cursed you," answered Hiei as he sheathed his katana.

Yusuke arched an eyebrow and scratched his nose. "So I was cursed? Goddamn, who did I make so angry in the past year?" he wondered to himself aloud.

"That's what we're about to find out," said Kurama, "together."

Yusuke grinned widely. "So it's the three great lords at it once again, eh?" he commented.

"It seems so," agreed Kurama. "But Yusuke—your condition—we must be wary. If you feel any discomfort, you have to tell us. I have a hunch our captured friend here won't be shedding much light on the subject."

"Blind and worshipful. Whoever she follows has her effectively at their beck and call. No doubt she would rather kill herself before betraying her master," remarked Hiei.

"Yeah, well I just hope we find out whoever this youkai is because I'm tired of having to scream my head off every time I try to remember something," said Yusuke with a sort of strange glint in his eyes. "There are a few more places I went to besides the forests."

Kurama raised an eyebrow curiously. "Where?" he asked.

Yusuke shot him an amused look. "The three most feared places of the Makai: the desert, the marshes, and the plains," he answered with a smirk.

At this, Hiei's eyes widened and he regarded Yusuke with amazement. "Those places are where the oldest of all demons live. None have ever survived a journey to these places because of those demons' wrath at being intruded," he said.

Yusuke winked at him. "Oh, I have my ways. I'm the heir to Raizen and one of the great Lords of Makai! But to be honest, it's not the youkai you need to be scared of—it's the places themselves," he explained slowly, as if recalling something terrible that had happened.

"Yusuke, you certainly are making this very difficult for us," quipped Kurama coolly.

The dark-haired man smiled embarrassingly. "Hey, I can't help it. I just can't stay in one place that long. Besides, I've been putting off exploring the Makai for way too long so when I finally did start on my little tour, I had to go all the way. I mean let's face it, there aren't many left in this world that can perform curses of such a high level. But then again, I guess I might have been a little careless," he replied sincerely before growing grim. "I really do have the worst luck."

"That's why we're here, though," said Kurama bracingly.

For a moment, Yusuke was silent as he stared at the ground, his long bangs obscuring his vision. He then tilted his head back and greeted the darkening sky with a small smile—one that spoke of genuine happiness and hope. He faced Hiei and Kurama with that expression painted on his face and stared at them equally for several minutes before finally beginning to chuckle. As his shoulders shook with laughter, he eyed his companions closely. He then closed his eyes and changed to his youkai form effortlessly.

"I think we can finally start to have some fun now, guys," he announced formally. "No more of this reminiscing shit from me. I'm Urameshi now, the most feared youkai of all the Makai. If my enemy doesn't want to come to me, then I'll go to them."

It was as if Yusuke had changed altogether—not just physically. In Hiei's eyes he no longer saw the young teenage boy who was known for his quick tongue and rash decisions; standing before him now was a full-grown youkai worthy of respect and awe, and whom was also one of his closest friends. Hiei smirked to himself. _Maybe I was wrong about him not changing._ The fiery youkai could see clearly now that he had underestimated Yusuke. The latter hadn't cared much before, but now, with the promise of a fight, he emerged as his true self.

"Of course a fool like you can never defeat this enemy by yourself," he commented brusquely.

Yusuke looked at him sharply before tilting his head to the side slightly. "Oh? Are you suggesting that I'm weak, Hiei?" he retorted.

Hiei crossed his arms. "Don't get cocky," he said simply.

"You may be Urameshi to everyone else, but to us you're still the same Yusuke—just a little more mature," added in Kurama with a twinkle in his eyes.

A smile flitted across Yusuke's face before coming down into a frown. "I guess the flower didn't work. But considering this is a curse… It really shouldn't," he remarked thoughtfully.

"Flower?" repeated Kurama curiously.

Yusuke reached into his back pocket and pulled out a few crumpled petals along with the seeds and handed them to Kurama, who reached for them carefully. He examined them silently and looked at Yusuke.

"Where did you find this?" he inquired casually, though his voice gave an undertone of forcefulness that didn't slip unnoticed by Yusuke's ears.

"A dark and gloomy cave," answered Yusuke playfully.

Kurama nodded and handed the crumpled flowers back to Yusuke. "Keep them at your side. They might come in handy later on," he advised.

"Do you know what they are?" questioned Yusuke mildly.

Kurama gave a mysterious smile. "It's legendary," was all he said before he turned to face Hiei abruptly. "Are you all set?"

The smaller youkai grunted and shifted a pack over his shoulder. "While you two were chatting on about nonsense, I gathered everything we needed," he replied gruffly.

Kurama smiled while Yusuke stared at Hiei in surprise. "Wait, we brought things?" he asked.

Hiei restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "Supplies, Yusuke, supplies. If we are heading towards those regions we're going to need them," he stated plainly.

"But I didn't bring anything with me. Only an extra set of clothes—oh, and a walking staff. But food and medicinal herbs? They were all there," he muttered to himself.

Kurama raised incredulous eyes on Yusuke. "Food there is scarce and most of it is poisonous—only suited for the creatures already inhabited in those areas for over a millennium," he pointed out.

"Well, I did have some hard time in the beginning with eating it. I threw up a lot in the first week and felt really drained, but I had nothing else to eat! So I just kept eating and I guess I eventually got used to it because I had no more problems afterwards," explained Yusuke wonderingly.

Kurama shook his head slowly, an amused expressing painting his face. "You never do cease to amaze me, Yusuke," he commented.

The youkai shrugged. "Hey, it's what I'm best at, tight?" he replied, tossing his loosely pony-tailed hair behind him. "You know, I used to hate this hair. Now I'm rather fond of it, though when it gets out of control, it drives me nuts. The color is kind of cool, though. Beats normal brunette."

Kurama studied it for a moment. "You just morphed from your ningen form—shouldn't it be wild?" he pondered aloud.

Yusuke waved one finger in the air tauntingly. "Come on, Youko. You of all people should know about holding up illusions," he said charmingly.

The silver-haired youkai remained silent, but his eyes glittered in laughter.

"Now if both of you are through I suggest we get going," interjected Hiei as he stood several feet away from them, a hand on his hip for emphasis.

Kurama nodded slightly. "Yes, I agree," he said quietly. Despite Yusuke's aloofness of the situation, he had a strong feeling in his heart that something extraordinary was to come—something devastating. The kitsune shook off the feeling and eyed Yusuke carefully. No matter what he and Hiei would have to be on guard. Kurama didn't feel the need to lose another close companion.

As they began walking through the quiet forest, it was Yusuke yet again who broke the silence.

"Say, Kurama?" he began.

The youkai turned to face him attentively.

"Did you and Hiei ever go out?"

There was a quick flash of metal and the sound of a slash cutting through the air as Yusuke yelped.

* * *

TBC

I'm definitely taking liberties on the geography of the Makai. XD


	7. Sandstorm

* * *

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part VII**

* * *

It was painfully hot in the desert. The sun beamed down persistently upon Yusuke's back to the point where he just wished he had the power to completely demolish the ball of heat. He had remembered it being the same way the last time he visited—dry, inhabitable, and utterly desolate. There was not a single sign of life for miles around and Yusuke began wondering to himself then why he had suggested coming to the desert first—if at all. The only youkai he met previously were a strange bunch who lived under the sand, tunneling deeper and deeper until they hit water. They were odd and rather unattractive in appearance but they had offered him shelter. For that Yusuke was able to overlook their deformed figures and befriend a clan of relatively friendly youkai he never thought to have existed in the Makai.

A suffocating wind blew past Yusuke and he scowled deeply despite himself. "You know," he began, "I think there's nothing here!"

Kurama stared at him from a narrowed gaze. "You met youkai here?" he asked, raising his voice against the wailing wind that was steadily getting stronger.

Yusuke nodded. "But they were nice!" he shouted back.

"There's a storm arriving," announced Hiei.

The three companions stared at each other for a while before quickly moving. With all the sand rising above them, the sun was no longer a factor they had to fear. But the biting dust and howling wind were something else altogether. With renewed vigor, the trio began running to reach some sort of clearing. The storm, however, had risen to a point of no returns. Large columns of spiraling sand and wind whipped all around them, separating them and burying them deep into the ground.

For several minutes the storm raged on, giving no glimpse of the three youkai. When it did eventually calm, however, all that could be seen was a smooth terrain of sand. Then suddenly the top of a head emerged—one with spiny black locks and a distinguishable streak of white. The hair remained atop for some time, the wind blowing it gently before the owner's entire body leapt up from the sand, an irritable expression on his face. Hiei brushed off his clothes and spat into the sand loathsomely. He never was particularly fond of deserts. Glancing around, the fiery youkai narrowed his eyes and waited patiently.

And as if on cue, another head appeared—this time with silver locks. Kurama came up from the sand with some difficulty before finally spotting Hiei standing a bit off from him. A smile graced his features. "Still as helpful as ever, Hiei," he remarked with some amusement as he finally managed to pull his body free.

"Hn. Where's the other one?" replied Hiei, eyeing the sand watchfully.

Kurama walked up to him, a contemplative look on his face. "I wonder," he murmured thoughtfully.

It wasn't until several long minutes passed did he begin to worry. Kurama crossed his arms tensely and looked towards the sky. It was darkening quickly and nights in this particular desert were known to be brutal. Kurama did not wish to stay out in the open so vulnerably.

"He's been here before. I don't think he would be swept aside so easily by a sandstorm," he remarked to Hiei, cautiously avoiding the usage of Yusuke's name. Kurama knew Hiei was worried enough as it was. Saying the other's name would only increase that feeling.

The smaller youkai grunted and looked away offhandedly. "That idiot is too much trouble," he commented dryly. "We should go find some sort of shelter then."

Kurama nodded in agreement then pointed onwards. "I believe I spotted a cave of some sort in that direction before the storm hit us," he suggested.

An eyebrow went up curiously. "A cave? In a desert?" queried Hiei, unable to hide his curiosity.

The silver-haired youkai smiled slightly. "Well, it is the Makai," he replied humorously.

The two then began heading towards that direction in a swift pace. Before long the bright blue sky had turned dusky and the beating sun to a soft, warm glow on their backs. Kurama couldn't help but gaze at the scenery with some awe. His home had always been in the forest, surrounded by life and mystery. The desert seemed like such a peculiar place for him to be in—so dead and empty, yet it held its own charm as well. Its mystery lied in its dual presence: the hot and scorching days combined with the cold and dark nights. He had no idea what to expect next. Yusuke had mentioned youkai living here, yet they hadn't encountered a single one thus far. Kurama waited excitedly for the next challenge to arrive—when they had found out where their missing companion was, though. The kitsune frowned inwardly and gave Hiei a sidelong glance.

The fiery youkai seemed calm enough, but Kurama knew those impassive eyes well and knew Hiei was merely masking his emotions. He smiled faintly at this. Even after all these long years it seemed like some things never changed. This brought comfort to Kurama's heart, though. Being alive for so long did come with consequences. He had to inevitably watch those close to him pass on while life for him went on inexorably. It was good to have a few constant variables beside him; though Yusuke was most certainly not constant in the way he acted. Kurama thought about this fondly.

When they reached the cave, Hiei entered first, flashing his katana dangerously to ward off any enemies before lowering the weapon satisfactorily. He tossed his jacket over his back and turned halfway to look at Kurama.

"No one's here," he commented needlessly as he began to head for the left side of the cave where a high slab of stone rested near the ceiling. Kurama watched amusedly as the youkai clambered up until he reached his destination, folding his jacket along the stone before lying down himself.

"You're worried? I was too at first. But now I think Yusuke's fine," the kitsune quipped suddenly, as if speaking to himself. He watched slyly as Hiei stiffened from where he rested. "He may be reckless, but he usually knows what he's getting himself into. And to be quite honest, it's more often him who comes to rescue us."

Only silence greeted Kurama, but this did not dampen him. He already knew his words had a profound effect on Hiei because of the way the youkai shifted to his side, his back against Kurama. The silver-haired kitsune smiled at this but wasn't yet done with his interrogation.

"Tell me, Hiei. When did you first fall for Yusuke?"

At this the smaller youkai responded by facing Kurama, an astonished look on his face. "What?" he gasped out, as if not wanting to believe what he had just heard.

Kurama smiled back charmingly and sat down on a boulder, taking on a more passive attitude. "You know what I said, Hiei. So tell me," he replied knowingly.

Hiei's eyes on him narrowed darkly. "You don't know what you're talking about, fox. Go to sleep," he snapped back bitingly.

"I told you once before you could never hide anything from me," came Kurama's voice softly, his tone bringing to Hiei memories of a happy past filled with hopeful secrets and love. Kurama gazed back at Hiei with a nostalgic smile. "You remember this?"

Hiei stared at him for a moment then closed his eyes. "What did I tell you before about acting too much like a human?" he responded derisively. "You're more sentimental now than you were when I first met you."

Kurama's face then broke into a more cheerful smile. "Yes, I suppose I have my mother to thank for this—Yusuke as well now that I think about it," he said lightly, "but to be quite honest, this isn't about me."

Hiei arched an eyebrow. "I can see you're not going to let this drop," he stated tonelessly.

The kitsune merely sat patiently.

Hiei folded his arms and sat up cross-legged. "Your opinion is wrong, Kurama," he said calmly.

The silver-haired youkai frowned slightly. "And what is my opinion?" he retorted.

"That Yusuke and I will work. It won't. We're too different for that to happen nor would I even _want_ it to happen," came the cold answer.

Kurama crossed his legs and rested his elbow on one of them, looking up at Hiei wonderingly. "Is that so? You say that now yet you're already falling for him. Do you really plan on stopping something as natural as this?" he replied.

"_Natural_? This is not natural, Kurama. He doesn't need me and I don't care for relying too much on one person," remarked Hiei snappily.

Sharp, amber eyes softened at these words. "I think Yusuke needs all of us—and sometimes depending on someone else isn't bad. Isn't that what we did?" advised Kurama.

Hiei remained blasé. "You and me were something else. We had more in common. It was natural for us. There wasn't anything or anyone who could say otherwise," he said as a matter-of-factly.

"Then why did we break apart?"

It seemed as if a sudden, powerful wave entered the cave, filling it with such intensity that all the inhabitants were stunned to silence. Hiei didn't look at Kurama, knowing all too well what he would see in the kitsune's eyes. His question was one that had haunted him endlessly in the recent past. Days would go by and Hiei would try to find an answer for this puzzle. And when he did, it came to him as a surprise—for it was something he had always known just never really paid much attention to.

"We were too similar on the inside. Both of us housed secrets we didn't want the other to know. This eventually led to a feeling of distrust on both behalves to the point where it seemed like friendship would indeed be the better path," continued Kurama smoothly, without any remorse or regret.

Hiei raised his head and looked at Kurama as if to say, "Yeah. So what?" The kitsune smiled and shook his head at his smaller companion.

"We were the same. We understood each other better than anyone else ever did. But it wasn't love—at least not the kind we had hoped for. It wasn't the one where two individuals fell for each other and slowly began the long process of finding out more about the other. Ours was the opposite. We knew too much about each other—so much that we became like two souls intertwined eternally with no chance for freedom or excitement despite our, at times, dangerous lives," explained Kurama as he turned a critical gaze on Hiei. "But you originally held a special place for Yusuke in your heart. We both did to be frank, but you let him in more freely than you ever did with anyone else. I was once envious of this for a while—until I realized why you did this. Yusuke has that kind of charm over people."

Hiei's eyebrows scrunched together slightly, a sign of slight irritation. "I do not hold a special place for that…idiot," he responded, though he knew Kurama could see through his words.

And the silver-haired youkai only smiled. "Don't let this chance escape you, Hiei. Just because we didn't work out doesn't mean you two won't. Yusuke is quite different from me—which I believe is a good thing. He's got plenty of mystery and excitement in himself to satisfy you until the end of time, I believe," he mused aloud before turning a playful look on Hiei, "and he's lovable. Did I forget to mention that?"

A short chuckle was issued from Hiei as he broke his gaze with Kurama by closing his eyes. "I'm not in that deep," he remarked.

"You soon will be, though. It was inevitable. You were attracted to Yusuke from the beginning. His power, his seemingly carefree attitude, and loudness called out to you. He's your contradiction—yet he may be your match at the same time," commented Kurama.

"Is this your way of telling me that you approve?" questioned Hiei, smirking.

Kurama shrugged nonchalantly. "We've got a long life ahead of us, Hiei. I'm sure of it. And you need someone by your side for the long journey," he replied.

"And you?"

A slow smile spread over Kurama's face. "You can worry about me some other time. I'm the least of your concerns right now," he answered smartly, a mischievous glow in his eyes.

Hiei gave an amused half smile. Many used to think he and Kurama were a perfect pair—destined and suited for one another. Many still did think this in fact. Even Yusuke had perceived this notion. It brought Hiei some grief considering he wasn't pleased with people meddling in such personal affairs, but it also annoyed him greatly. He had learned long ago that destiny was only half the story. He had allowed himself to fall blindly for Kurama only to wind up with even more regrets than before. Their time together was good while it lasted even if half the time was spent shying away from others—and ultimately, each other. Significant other? Hiei scoffed at the idea. Love was such a trifling yet substantial subject that eluded the fiery youkai to no ends. He didn't want to wind up as its victim for a second time.

But Yusuke wasn't something he could ever predict.

Hiei lied back down against his jacket and stared at the ceiling. A faint rustling below him alerted him that Kurama had taken his leave. The youkai frowned at the direction his thoughts were flowing in. The absence of the loud Yusuke still haunted his mind and Hiei couldn't deny the fact that he _was_ worried. It didn't matter if the other youkai was one of the strongest fighters around—he would continue feeling this way until Yusuke was back by his side again. Hiei scowled deeply. He always did hate the emotions Yusuke managed to rouse within him. No one else had ever done this so naturally, so freely since Yukina. It made Hiei feel weak.

_He's your contradiction—yet he may be your match at the same time. _Kurama's words echoed throughout Hiei's skull incessantly, taunting him yet giving him some spark of hope. The crimson-eyed youkai sighed deeply and closed his eyes. As much as the subject affected him, Hiei knew he had to put it aside for now. Love was not his main priority now—finding Yusuke's mysterious enemy and getting rid of them was. No one threatened his friends. Hiei had made this declaration long ago, and he did his best to uphold this promise—even allowing those like Keiko and Shizuru, whom he was never particularly close to, into the bargain. He had failed once when witnessing Yusuke die by the hands of Sensui. That pain was something Hiei never wished to experience again.

"Hiei."

Eyes fluttering open, Hiei gave a start and sat up to look down. Kurama stood by the entrance, still and a calm expression in his eyes. If it weren't for the fact that he could detect a slight panic in the kitsune's tone, Hiei would have completely disregarded him. But this was not the case and the fiery youkai stood up, katana in hand.

"What is it? Kurama?" he demanded.

The silver-haired youkai looked positively livid, yet one would never have known this by staring at him. His anger was written clearly in his eyes, under cool depths of amber, swirling viciously and waiting for a chance to burst.

"We have to go now," he stated firmly, leaving no room for further discussion. Just then, several holes erupted open before him, dust and sand blowing everywhere. Hiei shielded his eyes with his arm before leaping down to greet the intruders.

"Don't," warned Kurama just as the smoke cleared and Hiei was about to strike down the nearest youkai. "They have Yusuke."

Those three simple words managed to stop Hiei from going all out on his enemy. He lowered his stance slowly with bitterness. The small youkai before him were dirty looking, with bulging black eyes and wispy brown hair. Their bodies were round and stout but on their hands were glittering claws about a foot long. Hiei glanced behind them and saw long tails in the air, swaying gently with long, glittering spikes poking out dangerously. He had never seen such youkai before.

"What did you do to him?" he inquired blandly.

The youkai spoke in high, squeaky clicks. Hiei looked behind to Kurama and saw that the kitsune was in fact tied down to the earth by chains of stone around his ankles. He narrowed his eyes warily. It appeared these youkai were not to be underestimated.

"Come with ussss…," hissed out one sand youkai, snatching Hiei's arm with surprising force before suddenly leaping high in the air. Hiei's expression changed to one of shock as they abruptly dropped down the hole they had come out from.

As they fell, the cold air bit at Hiei's face and he began to try and break the sand youkai's grip to no avail. The small youkai had an unbreakable hold on him, and he gave up soon after. It was best to just follow through with everything. After what seemed like hours, the darkness around them gave way to a soft, steady light. Hiei blinked in surprise as they landed on soft ground. The youkai gripped his arm more tightly as he began dragging Hiei away to the corner, where a dark tunnel splayed out before them.

"What do you want with us?" demanded Hiei sharply.

The youkai only gave an indiscernible murmur to which Hiei didn't even try to comprehend. As they emerged from the tunnel, however, his confusion gave way to wonder. There, towering before them, was a series of tunnels and holes decorating the high walls all around them. The air was cleaner here and Hiei could spot small huts in the center, the sand youkai's homes most obviously. The range of tunnels was simply unfathomable, however. It was a world belonging entirely to these youkai—and no one else could possibly take it away. Hiei couldn't imagine how long it had taken to build them.

At that moment Kurama then walked up to his side, being dragged along by two of the sand youkai. Hiei shared a look with him and both knew what the other was thinking immediately. They could not make any attack in fear for Yusuke's safety. Hiei clenched his teeth together but remained calm as he looked onwards. The sand youkai were coming out of their small huts in curiosity and were now poking and prodding at him and Kurama with small gasps of wonder.

"Uramessshi bad," muttered one of the youkai as it glared down at Hiei and Kurama.

"He bringsss usss trouble," added another.

All at once Hiei felt the blood rush from his head. It seemed like these youkai also bore a grudge against Yusuke. Did that mean they were brought here simply for amusement? Hiei balled his fists.

The sand youkai suddenly began laughing.

"Uramessshi _very_ bad! Tricky! Dangerouss to be around! Not anymore!"

And the laughter went on.

Both Hiei and Kurama at this point were trembling with building rage before someone new spoke up—someone with an oddly familiar voice.

"Hey, hey, I'm not gone yet."

The sand youkai stopped laughing and turned around, taking Hiei and Kurama's gazes with them. Standing before one of the endless tunnels spread out before them was a cloaked figure. Underneath the hood, however, Hiei could see whitish hair and familiar facial markings. His shock kept him from speaking, though.

The figure lifted the hood from his face and Urameshi Yusuke promptly greeted everyone with a sunny smile.

"Hiei, Kurama. These guys were right you know. It _is_ dangerous being around me," he remarked casually, a smirk on his face. He then shrugged noncommittally. "I really can't help myself you know. Sorry. But you can't say I didn't warn you."

And Yusuke raised his arm, adopting an old stance, and a brilliant cold blue light appeared at the tip of his index finger as he aimed it at Hiei and Kurama. The light illuminated his face eerily and for a moment, Hiei wondered if in fact he had managed to make the biggest mistake in his life by trusting Yusuke.

* * *

TBC


	8. Warning

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**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part VIII**

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By the time everything was said and done, Hiei was more than mad. In fact, the small youkai was downright _pissed off_. And it annoyed him even more in having to use such a human term to describe his emotions. When Yusuke had greeted him and Kurama with his Rei-Gun, he was too shocked to react. Fear and confusion reigned over Hiei's mind for those quick milliseconds as he tried to come up with some reasonable excuse for Yusuke's betrayal.

And then the infuriating latter lowered his attack and burst out laughing right then and there.

Needless to say it didn't take too long for Hiei to put one and one together. Yusuke's taunting laughter and gasps of disbelief had almost convinced him to murder the "infamous Urameshi" right then and there. Kurama had been more tolerable of the act. He had chuckled along lightly, though there was still an unspoken relief in his eyes as he did this. Yusuke patted him on the back genially.

"You didn't think I would actually kill you, right? I'm cursed—not possessed," he remarked amusedly, still snorting in between his words.

It was during this time that Hiei finally had enough of standing around and stalked up to the taller youkai before launching a surprising punch to the latter's face, thoroughly knocking him out. Yusuke flew back into the wall with a crash and the rest of the sand youkai who were watching began laughing. Kurama looked onwards with a mixed expression of concern and amusement. Hiei clenched his fist tightly.

"He had it coming," he commented, his temper now returning back to normal.

Yusuke remained unconscious for an hour. When he awoke, though, he was still grinning. Hiei and Kurama had become well acquainted with the sand youkai, whom they discovered had just been playing along with Yusuke and never really meant any harm to them. The sand youkai had then set up a special hut for them and Kurama thanked them graciously.

"Did I have you all worried?" queried Yusuke when the sand youkai left them alone.

Kurama's eyes flashed at him. "That was a rather nasty joke, Yusuke," he replied.

Yusuke promptly began laughing again. "I couldn't help it!" he exclaimed before shooting Hiei a glare. "And you! You didn't need to knock me out! That's overkill don't you think? My head's messed up as it is!"

Hiei remained at his post, arms crossed and a disgruntled expression on his face. Yusuke pouted and pointed an accusing finger at him while looking at Kurama favorably. "Right? Squirt didn't have to hit that hard," he said.

"_Squirt!_"

And for the second time that day Hiei felt like murdering Yusuke.

"It's a great nickname for you, Hiei! I mean it's better than 'Chibi', right?"

At this point even Kurama couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. Hiei was scandalized. The fiery youkai merely stared at Yusuke for a long moment, too irritable to even speak, before finally walking out the hut with an icy air around him. Yusuke stifled his laughter and clapped his knee once Hiei was out of hearing distance.

"Did you see his face? Oh man, I think I _really_ pushed him over the edge this time!" exclaimed Yusuke as he shook his head.

Kurama offered him a smile. "You think it's wise to tease him like this, though?" he inquired lightly.

Yusuke tossed back his hair with a careless shrug. "Please. He knows I'm just joking around," he replied.

"It was a bit scary, though. Well, more so shocking. For a moment I really had to consider killing you to survive—something I never thought I would have to do," commented Kurama quietly. He looked at Yusuke seriously. "I can laugh at it now, but it's more out of relief than anything."

Yusuke looked surprised for a moment before smiling sheepishly. "Gee, I guess I never considered it from that point of view. No wonder Hiei was so mad," he remarked before shooting Kurama a sugary look. "I'm soooooorry. I'll promise not to do that again!"

The silver-haired kitsune laughed. "That tone does not suit you, Yusuke," he chuckled.

Yusuke gave a mock scowl. "Man, no appreciation anymore. You try to be nice and people just think I'm joking. What's the point?" he muttered to himself.

"These youkai, however… Are they your friends? You seem to be on rather familiar terms with them."

Yusuke looked at Kurama proudly. "Of course they are! They're the youkai I met the last time I was here. Great, aren't they?" he replied, grinning happily.

Kurama nodded slowly, gesturing outside. "They have quite the network," he remarked curiously.

"Well, they're sand diggers. You might be surprised, but they're really not as strong as they seem. They _do_, however, have killer grips. The first time I sparred against one of them I made the mistake of letting them grab me—worst mistake I ever made in a fight. Once they have a hold on you, they'll never let go. But other than that they're vulnerable to the heat outside, which is why they stay underground for the better part of the day."

"Why don't they live somewhere else where it's always cold then?" inquired Kurama.

Yusuke shrugged. "They like it here. These tunnels have been with them for over a millennium. And there are barely any enemy youkai here for them to fear," he answered.

"What do they eat?"

A wry look was shoot in Kurama's direction. "Beats me. Demonic insects? To be quite frank, I never asked. I just ate whatever they gave me," he replied.

Kurama arched an eyebrow but didn't say anything else. They both sat quietly for a while until Yusuke finally budged from his seat with a loud yawn.

"When do you think Hiei's coming back?" he asked.

Kurama smirked slightly, his golden eyes glinting in the dim light from the candles. "Hiei can hold a grudge for a while," he commented airily. "Perhaps you should look for him."

Yusuke frowned. "Why do I not like that tone of yours, Youko?" he asked suspiciously.

The kitsune gave an innocent laugh. "It's your imagination, Yusuke," he assured.

"Hmm…should I really be trusting the notorious thief of the Makai?" inquired Yusuke rhetorically. Kurama smiled and watched as the youkai stretched his back, running a hand through his now unruly hair. Pulling the strands out of its ponytail, Yusuke flinched as he combed through the knots. "You know this hair can be a real bitch after waking up. I never did know how you could handle it."

Kurama walked over and caught Yusuke's hand as it began its descent to make another attack to detangle the uncooperative hair. He then went with his own hands to run them slowly through the white strands, smoothly unknotting them free of its tangles. Yusuke leaned back comfortably and eyed Kurama appreciatively.

"I guess you of all people should know how to deal with long hair," he remarked amusedly.

Kurama smiled. "Yes, but my hair usually tends to be quite obedient," he replied, now tying Yusuke's hair back into its loose ponytail.

Yusuke shot the silver-haired youkai a glare. "Are you taunting me?" he prompted.

"Of course not," answered Kurama brightly.

The two remained quiet in companionable silence for a moment before Yusuke finally stood up, rotating his arm in circles. "I'm restless. Care to spar?" he announced.

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "You want me to spar with you?" he repeated faintly.

"What? You aren't afraid of losing are you, Kurama?" teased Yusuke.

The kitsune narrowed his eyes. "Losing is the least of my concerns, Yusuke. But you shouldn't be straining yourself now," he said.

Yusuke looked at him in amazement. "_Straining_ myself? Since when did fighting become a strain? I love it!" he remarked incredulously.

Kurama stood up. "We don't know when another attack might come. I just don't think you should be exerting yourself unnecessarily," he pointed out quietly.

There was a sort of worry in Kurama's tone that made Yusuke stop. Normally he would have plowed on straight ahead but with Kurama it was always different. With Hiei he could safely do some damage to the youkai's pride to get his wants, but it was always a losing battle when it came to Kurama. Yusuke's enthusiasm crumpled to the ground as he gazed at the kitsune's expression. All at once Yusuke cursed himself for having grown so soft in recent years. He also cursed his own situation. Old magic in the Makai was rare and nearly nonexistent. Yusuke himself had only managed to acquire an intermediate knowledge of the art before his master passed away. This was fifty years ago. Since then Yusuke had traveled through the Makai in hopes of finding other magic users. It was hopeless search, though.

And now it seemed one of those that he had been searching for decided to curse him. The irony escaped Yusuke's mind as he could only think to himself what he could have possibly done to gain such an enemy.

"I'm going for a walk," announced Yusuke formally. Kurama eyed him warily. Yusuke cast off his concerns with a small wave of his hand. "I'm not going to do anything strenuous, okay? I just need some time to clear my thoughts."

Kurama finally succumbed to Yusuke's request and nodded slowly. "You'll probably meet up with Hiei somewhere along the way," he commented.

Yusuke groaned. "Let's just hope he's out of his violent mood," he said before leaving the hut.

The chilling air greeted him immediately and Yusuke blinked. He had forgotten for a moment that he was underground and that there was no moon to greet him. All was darkness except for a few lit torches by the huts the sand youkai inhabited. Other than that everything was still. Yusuke looked beyond the dark tunnels and columns of entryways that towered above him. This indeed was a geographical wonder. In the Ningenkai a place like this would attract attention like none other.

Yusuke smiled slightly and pushed his hands into his pockets. The sand youkai had insisted on adorning him in new clothes after his old attire had been ripped and stained by the brutal forces of nature. Yusuke could do nothing but allow them. Now his clothes consisted of deep emerald shades with a black sash. It reminded him of his old school uniform. The clothes were rather traditional, though, much like Kurama's. However, there were minor differences. On his feet he donned, not simple walking shoes, but black boots made out of a tough, leathery material. Yusuke gazed down at himself and wondered faintly. The sand youkai didn't have too bad of a fashion sense.

A small chuckle escaped his lips as Yusuke imagined how Kuwabara would react if he knew his friend was thinking about clothes.

"Still laughing?"

Looking up in surprise, Yusuke caught glimpse of Hiei resting atop one of the ledges far above him. He tilted his head to the side. "No, I was thinking of something different," he replied cheerfully.

Hiei let out a grunt and Yusuke smiled.

"Are you sure these youkai can be trusted?"

Yusuke frowned deeply. "Yes," he said firmly.

"You really are naïve," remarked Hiei dryly.

"Are we really going to start arguing again?" inquired Yusuke sharply.

Hiei turned icy eyes on Yusuke before leaping down gracefully to land in front of the taller youkai. He had his katana in hand and raised it towards Yusuke warningly. "I don't think you should let your guard down so easily," he advised in a clipped tone.

The fiery youkai's attitude mystified Yusuke. He had not seen Hiei behave this indifferently to him since the first time they met. It made him wonder if there was something he was missing. Yusuke narrowed his eyes. The sand youkai were trustworthy. They would never betray him. Why then was Hiei so cautious? Even Kurama had shown some suspicion of their purpose.

"Are you just mad because they fooled you? You know they were acting on my request," pointed out Yusuke curiously.

Hiei's eyes flashed. "That's besides the point," he replied coldly.

"Gee, then I have no idea why you're so worried. I know I'm still kind of new to this whole youkai thing, but I've been traveling around the Makai _a lot_—even more than you and Kurama in fact. Trust my judgment for once, will you?"

There was blatant sincerity in Yusuke's tone that swayed Hiei's will. The shorter youkai stared at the figure before him with some wryness. Yusuke never failed to stump his reasoning. It was a talent he mastered long before even realizing he had it. Hiei lowered his katana and gave a dismissive grunt.

"Suit yourself," he muttered.

Yusuke grinned. "You're all heart, Hiei," he commented fondly as he wrapped an arm around the youkai's shoulders.

Hiei cringed at the touch and shrugged off the imposing arm, glaring darkly at Yusuke. "Say that again," he challenged in a dangerous tone.

"Walk with me," suggested Yusuke, leaving no room for protest as he dragged Hiei along with him.

For the first few minutes Hiei had attempted to struggle out of Yusuke's hold, but he failed to estimate correctly the force the latter would use to keep him under control. He eventually gave into Yusuke's suggestion bitterly. If he wanted, he could have broken free, but there was no harm in walking. But Hiei was unaccustomed to such trifling activities. Kurama had once accused him of being an individual whose wants and needs arose out of the stem of basic survival—never did Hiei do something just for the sake of doing it.

He realized now that Kurama had been correct.

To simply relax and enjoy someone else's company were two foreign things to Hiei. He was a loner, and he treasured solitude. There were few people in this world that Hiei didn't mind being with—and he had never considered Yusuke as being one of them. The latter was one of the few people Hiei could call a friend, but as company Yusuke could be both a blessing and curse. Nowadays, though, his opinion was swiftly changing. Yusuke had matured greatly from his teenaged years—though he still retained his biting remarks and sharp tongue—he had grown into someone Hiei didn't mind being with.

It was an unexpected revelation, but one that Hiei could live with.

"Don't you ever get bored of being silent?"

At Yusuke's posed question, Hiei looked at him. The taller youkai was staring forward, not giving any attention to the shorter companion beside him.

"Don't you ever bored of being nosy?"

"Touché," replied Yusuke with a grin.

Hiei stared at him for a while longer. There were many reasons why he was attracted to Yusuke. The latter was his contradiction, but they shared many of the same morals. Both were proud fighters and both could be undeniably stubborn. One thing that Hiei lacked, however, that Yusuke seemed so full of, was charm. It was this quality that first caught Hiei's attention. Then there was Yusuke's do or die methods that were somewhat alarming in the beginning—and the fact that he would seemingly rush into battle without a single care fooled many people, and gave him the title of being headstrong. But years of fighting by Yusuke's side gave his closer friends a different perspective.

Yusuke followed his instincts, yes, but he also considered everything else before acting. This rather contradictive personality trait attracted many people to him—both friendly and dangerous. Those who were close to Yusuke, however, treasured him. Hiei could grudgingly attest to that, and so could Kurama, Jin, Chuu, and many other companions. And this was why he had been so angered when he discovered someone was trying to kill Yusuke. They all had their enemies, but those who threatened Yusuke made Hiei feel more at edge than if it had been his own life.

Hiei snickered inwardly. Kurama was right yet again. He was falling deeply for Yusuke. It wasn't a matter of choice anymore. His heart was caught hook, line, and sinker—and there was not a single thing he could do against it. He glanced at Yusuke and wondered to himself in a bittersweet manner. Of all people to fall for—he had to fall for the one that managed to both annoy him to no ends and understand him like no one else. Even Kurama hadn't been able to interpret all his moods correctly. Yusuke, however, always had the uncanny ability of knowing what Hiei was thinking. It was perturbing, yet comforting at the same time.

"I must deserve this."

"What?"

Facing the taller youkai, Hiei narrowed his eyes. Yusuke shrugged carelessly and gestured to himself. "This curse. I must deserve it," he repeated faintly.

Hiei stared at Yusuke. "Don't try to milk any pity from me, Urameshi," he said offhandedly.

Yusuke gave a snort. "Man, you really are a cold little bastard," he retorted, shaking his head. "I'm just saying… I can't imagine what I could have possibly done to make this youkai so mad—but it must have been bad. You would think I should be able to remember it."

"It could have been blocked out from your mind by whoever's doing this to you."

"Ah, now that would be one hell of a way of keeping a secret identity. Heh, I should try that some time."

Hiei glanced at Yusuke. "Where did you learn to?" he inquired.

The latter rose an eyebrow. "What? Magic? Raizen's spirit told me about this old dude—looked kind of like the male version of Genkai—who was one of the last remaining magic users in the Makai. He told me it might be worthwhile to go and search him out, maybe learn a thing or two. Well, I did. But _Kairi-sensei_, as he was so fond of being called, died on me before finishing up my training," he explained.

"I didn't think there were _any_ magic users left," remarked Hiei quietly.

Yusuke gave a sour smile. "They're dying out. Old magic is seldom useful against the speed and strength of A-Class youkai who enjoy killing. It's kind of sad actually," he explained.

"You've learned a lot."

"Yeah. Kairi was one tough guy. Did you know magic users are actually humans who ventured into the Makai hundreds of years ago? It's kind of like how Raizen and his clan entered the Ningenkai, only these humans continued living in the Makai and made it their permanent home."

Hiei froze. "So this enemy is human?" he inquired sharply.

"Possibly. Youkai don't generally use magic—it's more of a human thing—but there are some who do," answered Yusuke casually. He then rapped his knuckles against his head sheepishly. "Sorry for not pointing that out earlier. I didn't really think much about it until I remembered my lessons with Kairi. He was one hell of a human. Genkai and him would have made a great pair."

"Instead of narrowing down our opponent, the field seems to be widening," commented Hiei thoughtfully.

Yusuke suddenly jumped. Hiei regarded him with some exasperation. "If magic users originally came from the Ningenkai, wouldn't there be a chance that there are some still in existence _there_?" he inquired excitedly.

Hiei remained silent.

"And if that's the case, maybe the enemy is actually in the Ningenkai, not the Makai, and maybe I can finish up my training!"

"It's a long shot, Yusuke. Magic in the Ningenkai was generally nothing more but superstitious tales. And I'm sure in _present_ Ningenkai the term 'magic' is mentioned only in children's fairytale books," Hiei argued tonelessly.

Yusuke shot him an exasperated look. "Hey, it's worth something, right? So how about this, after we search the marshes and plains, we go back to the Ningenkai to do a little researching. I passed by the area recently. They really have come far in technology," he suggested, his faith not at all deterred by Hiei's doubt.

The fiery youkai crossed his arms. "You're sure about this," he said plainly.

"Never surer," affirmed Yusuke.

Hiei closed his eyes. "Then we best inform Kurama," he stated calmly.

A happy, almost innocently naïve smile made its way onto Yusuke's face as he reached over and hugged Hiei tightly. "I knew you loved me!" he exclaimed jokingly before speeding off into the distance to where their hut was located.

Hiei watched the scene with impassive eyes before tilting his head back to stare at the dark, cavernous ceiling. Nothing stirred as he remained fixed in his spot—just as nothing would stir the deep feeling of uncertainty lodged in his chest.

* * *

TBC


	9. Stonehenge

**

* * *

**

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part IX**

* * *

It had been a tiresome journey that lasted for two weeks. The marshes and plains had lived up to their reputations as being the most feared places in the Makai—with their haunting atmosphere and barren wastelands. The plains were in a region surrounded by darkness. It was noticeably visible in the distance due to the heavy mist that lingered about the area perpetually. Once inside, however, the story was different. It was a mass of flat green grounds. There were few trees, but what they lacked in quantity they surely made up in size. The trees were about the size of the redwood trees founded in the Ningenkai and towered over like magnificent towers amid a lonely backdrop.

The youkai that lived within these wooden wonders varied, and most Yusuke didn't care to remember or see ever again. Besides the curious landscape and strangely low temperature, the plains held little interest for him. He couldn't recall what had happened the last time he came, but was sure that it must have been minute for him to forget. After he said those words, though, he had a minor collapse and was forced by Kurama to rest for the better part of the trip while he and Hiei went out to survey the area.

Seeing to the marshes had provided little improvement as well.

It was known to be the gloomiest place in the entire Makai—and it was. The last time Yusuke had visited the site he was swamped with depressing emotions for the entire trip. There was a powerful magic lingering about the area—cast by some ancient magic users in the early history of the Makai—that enshrouded the area with a dark and foreboding atmosphere. Death rates were the highest in this region and about eighty percent of the Makai's disappearances took place around the marshes. Kurama and Hiei had been especially wary in coming to this area, a place that was so densely compacted with ancient magic that it hurt to even walk. It did nothing to affect Yusuke due to his prior training with Kairi—and he hadn't been aware of their discomfort until they both nearly collapsed while trekking through the murky swamps.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he scolded as he aided them to rest on a fallen tree trunk. The swamp was silent and the fog was as thick as the one they encountered in the plains.

Kurama breathed in deeply, but the stifling air did little to soothe him. "I didn't think it would get this bad," he admitted.

Yusuke sighed. "No, you should forgive me. I forgot you guys didn't have experience with magic. This place can be a living hell for non-magic users," he said before forming a series of strange movements in the air with his hands. "Let's remedy that shall we?"

A cold green light emitted from Yusuke's hands until they appeared like two fiery flames. He held them out in front of him and all at once a warm rush of energy surrounded Kurama and Hiei's forms, catching them by surprise. They held still while Yusuke muttered a few foreign words and soon enough, the feeling of heaviness dissipated. Yusuke relaxed and smiled broadly at them.

"Be impressed by my show of magic," he declared imperiously.

Kurama blinked in wonder. "What did you do?" he questioned.

"Just a simple protection incantation—it'll block out the effects of the magic here, though, and keep you safeguarded from any other magical traps and spells," replied Yusuke.

"Does it take much to do?" inquired Hiei surprisingly.

Yusuke thought to himself. "Well, not really. The magic here is strong, but it's also old. So fortunately, the effects are not as strong as they would normally be. And most likely the castors are dead—which also further reduce the efficiency of the spells. Although I am curious as to why they cast them here in the first place," he replied thoughtfully.

"What did you find out the last time you were here?" asked Kurama.

"Not much. This place is pure despair if you haven't noticed. Those living here at the time were prisoners serving lifelong sentences. There weren't any actual residents—from what I could gather anyway," answered Yusuke, shaking his head. "It was really disturbing to tell you the truth. The youkai had already lost their minds and were screaming endlessly. That's how they die you know. The weaker your mind gets here the more susceptible you are to the magic—and they died a gruesome death."

Kurama narrowed his eyes.

"Who sentenced them?"

Yusuke looked at Hiei in surprise. "God knows!" he exclaimed. "They were here before Raizen or any of the other guys were."

"How do you know that?" Hiei prompted suspiciously.

"A few of them were mumbling before they died," answered Yusuke tonelessly.

"This is getting rather depressing," cut in Kurama.

Yusuke brightened up immediately. "Tell me about it. I spent three days here last time—and I swear I never thought about dying so many times in my entire life than I did then," he remarked with a chuckle.

"You think there's a chance any of those prisoners are still alive?" queried Hiei.

Yusuke threw him a sharp glance. "Hiei, I'm pretty sure none of them cursed me," he stated plainly.

Hiei resisted from rolling his eyes. "I know that, dimwit. But maybe we can find out more about the history of this place from them—and possibly if there any other magic users left in the Makai," he pointed out.

"Say…that's a pretty bright idea, Hiei!"

This time Hiei did roll his eyes.

The three then began walking again. The eeriness of the swamp eluded them as they focused on their purpose. It was still a treacherous place to be walking through, however. The floating debris they treaded on was unsteady and at any given moment a splash could be heard in the distance of some falling branches from the willowy trees. Kurama had already fallen once into the waters by accident and didn't care to relive that painful experience. The icy cold of those waters were enough to freeze his entrails completely within a few seconds. If it hadn't been for Yusuke and Hiei's speedy rescue Kurama was sure he would have lost his mind to that coldness.

"The prisoners…how were they kept?"

Yusuke turned to face him curiously. "Tied down to some stone columns. Barriers were put up to block outsiders from releasing them—and believe me, I tried. Those barriers are as steady as Niagara Falls—nothing will get past them. But you can still communicate with them if they have enough of their minds to do so," he replied lightly.

Kurama smiled faintly at his mentioning of Niagara Falls, a reference that Hiei did not care to know about or was even remotely interested in as he grunted derisively.

"You know the deeper we get into this, the more I think we'll never find out who cursed me," remarked Yusuke absently as he kicked away a piece of driftwood from their path. He then smiled amusedly. "But I kind of like this whole adventure. It's been a while since we did anything like this together. It really brings me back to the old days."

Kurama placed an arm around Yusuke's shoulder warmly. "I know what you mean," he agreed with a smile.

Yusuke grinned and then looked at Hiei. "Well, Squirt? What do you think?" he inquired jokily.

The fiery youkai visibly stiffened at the nickname and turned to glare at Yusuke darkly. "I think if you say that name one more time I will have to perform a very bloody murder," he warned harshly.

"That's cold, Hiei. Really."

"But that never seems to put you down."

"Well…yeah, you're absolutely correct on that one. I won't argue."

Kurama chuckled softly at the conversation exchanged. If they managed to escape from this mission safely, he was sure that Hiei and Yusuke would have something to discuss. His eyes glittered brightly in the anticipation. They had the most to learn about each other from this situation—and Kurama knew for certain that their relationship would undergo a changing. He just hoped that nothing else would endanger this progress than what was already at hand.

"Kurama, you've been to Stonehenge before, right?"

The kitsune glanced at Yusuke. "Yes, I have. Why?" he replied.

Yusuke gave a wry grin. "That's pretty much how the 'prison' looks like. Just throw in a few more slabs of stone and youkai trapped firmly onto those columns and you'll get the picture," he described.

"I see…," murmured Kurama.

"What is this Stonehenge?" inquired Hiei bluntly. He was growing more and more irritated at the references to the Ningenkai. It was enough that he didn't understand half of the jokes Yusuke and Kurama made—but this was getting too far out of hand.

Yusuke gave an amused smile. "It's a legendary site in the Ningenkai located somewhere in England—which is in northern Europe—which is quite far from Japan—which, as you know, is that place you lived in those few years while we worked for Koenma," he clarified before noticing the fuming glare Hiei was aiming at him. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Well, it's considered as something of a mystery in the Ningenkai. There's a lot of speculation as to who built it—from the Greeks to the Druids. No one knows _why_ it was built either, but the two most popular explanations are for human sacrifice or astronomical studies. It first began around 3500 B.C. and it's also been studied that additions were made from 2800 B.C. to 1800 B.C.—over five thousand years ago. Needless to say, this thing is ancient."

Kurama looked at Yusuke interestedly. "You seem to know a lot about this place."

"I love mysterious stuff like that," he replied with a whimsical grin.

Hiei frowned. "And you say the place where the prisoners are kept resembles it?" he asked.

Yusuke nodded.

"Strange," muttered Hiei.

"You tell me," remarked Yusuke with a short laugh. "But I'm curious to see what new advances they've made. It's been a while since I've been to the Ningenkai after all. I'm sure they discovered something new by now."

Hiei arched an eyebrow. "Who would have thought the Ningenkai would have mysteries of its own," he commented dryly.

"Well, of course, Hiei! Look at where we are now. This is a historical site of the Makai. The same places exist in the Ningenkai—and boy are they strange. I've never seen any of them but the stories and legends behind them are fascinating," exclaimed Yusuke brightly.

"I never thought of you as the type to be so interested in this," remarked Kurama.

Yusuke shrugged. "You learn something new every day," he replied.

"Did it ever occur to you that there might be a link to your Stonehenge and the Makai?"

At this Yusuke paused mid-walk and turned around to face Hiei. "Explain," he ordered.

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "You claim the site in which the prisoners are held in resemble Stonehenge, which is located in the Ningenkai. No one knows who built it or why—and they're old, like the one located here. We also know that magic users came originally from the Ningenkai," he said slowly.

"You think the ones who created this prison also created Stonehenge in the Ningenkai," concluded Kurama.

"But no one knows for sure if magic users really _did_ build the site," remarked Yusuke confusedly.

Hiei frowned. "Use your head, Yusuke. You said so yourself that old and ancient magic surrounds this area. The only question was why. All I know is that ever since the early history of the Makai magic users have been shunned from society. This place might have been their only safe haven—a place where no one could harm them. Those youkai trapped here might have been those unfortunate enough—or stupid enough—to stumble into their territory," he explained.

Yusuke scrunched up his nose. "This is so confusing. So what now? We can safely assume that the ones who established this place are dead—or hiding in some place very well. But what the hell does it have to do with me?" he cried out in aggravation.

"If only there was a record of magic users kept in the Makai," murmured Kurama.

"Koenma!"

"What?" inquired Hiei briskly, arching an eyebrow.

Yusuke grinned at them brightly. "He's the god of death, right? So wouldn't he have in-depth information on every living individual in all three worlds—including those who were magic users?" he suggested slowly.

"I'd rather go through the prisoners than that baby," stated Hiei impassively.

Kurama stifled a chuckle behind his hand.

"Well, either way we can use him as a last resort. We still don't know who we're looking for after all," continued Yusuke.

The three stood their ground for a minute. The fog grew thicker and denser, but none seemed to notice until Yusuke gave a cry of dismay when he could no longer see what was in front of him. Only white cloudy mist could be seen and he could barely make out Hiei's dark form. Kurama had all but vanished in the thick veil. The temperature was also dropping. Yusuke figured it was approaching night. But day and night were almost indistinguishable in the marshes. He reached out blindly until he caught hold of Hiei's sleeve and Kurama's tunic.

"Stay close," he warned.

The other two didn't respond but Yusuke knew they heard him. "Call on your energy," he directed.

"What for?" questioned Kurama from his right.

"High youki can dispel the fog—and with the three of us here we won't even have to call on our full power," explained Yusuke.

"Right," affirmed Kurama and Hiei.

The three stood in a packed circle and focused on their energy—a high wind and piercing light produced as the resultants. Almost at once the fog was cut through and the swamp appeared clearer and brighter than before.

"Magic has to do with everything here—but strong youki can counteract it. That was why the magic users died out. They were strong, but few. All it took was a few S-classed youkai to wipe out a majority of them," commented Yusuke.

"Why did they wipe them out?" inquired Kurama.

"Because they were a threat," answered Yusuke simply.

Hiei glanced at Yusuke. "I never even knew what the magic users had to go through," he remarked quietly.

Yusuke shrugged. "No one did," he said.

Their trek continued without a word. Eventually an exit appeared before them and they were allowed a moment to rest before entering another watery landscape. The marshes were like that all throughout. Some areas held more land than others, but there were few fixed grounds in which they could walk upon. It was an ever-changing terrain filled with darkness and no life. The trees were the same in every corner—tall, thin, and wispy. There was little breeze and when the wind did blow, it would cast an ominous moan across the area.

The prisons were established upon the largest fixed patch of land, and when they reached it they were instantly greeted by screams of anguish and torment. It sent chills up their spines as they walked closer and closer to their goal. The ground they walked on was a faded green—the first color they had seen since entering the marshes. When they finally came upon the site, they all paused to take in the scene before them. It was an exact duplicate of Stonehenge, but it held no charm or intrigue as the latter. Tied to the stone pillars were four ancient youkai whose bodies were slowly decomposing. Their cries of pain were haunting and frighteningly disturbing.

"How can their bodies still be intact after all these years?" whispered Kurama in shock.

Yusuke watched them sullenly. "The spells probably preserved their bodies longer than the normal rate," he answered.

"This is madness," muttered Hiei.

The youkai's eyes were the mirrors of despair and agony. But one of them was still able to notice their appearance. His body and face were beyond identification or recognition but his hair held an off-white hue, which indicated a small bit of his former self before subjected to his punishment. His eyes, however, glittered brightly in the dimness. It was this that separated him from the rest, and what made Yusuke approach him.

"Do you see us?" he inquired.

The youkai did not respond, but his amethyst eyes widened marginally.

"Can you speak?"

For a while it seemed as if the youkai had not heard Yusuke, but then slowly, painfully, he opened his mouth and revealed a series of decaying teeth and the rotten smell of death. He strove to speak for several moment before finding his voice.

"I know you," he croaked out, his voice hoarse and broken.

Yusuke smiled slightly. "Yeah, I was the one who tried to break the barrier last time," he replied.

"Why are you here?"

"To ask you who did this to you," continued Yusuke without hesitation.

The youkai inhaled sharply and shuddered violently, as if the mere memory pained him. He shut his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "The magic folk… They did this…," he muttered.

"Why?" inquired Kurama.

The youkai's eyes flew to him for a single moment before settling back on Yusuke. "Because we dared to try and take their land," he answered darkly.

Yusuke crossed his arms thoughtfully. The youkai stirred and raised his head slowly to look at him more closely.

"You are…Raizen?"

"What?" demanded Yusuke at once.

The youkai lowered his head. "You are the one he was speaking about…the halfling," he muttered.

Yusuke watched the youkai raptly. "When did Raizen come to you?" he inquired.

"Long ago…before you even arrived."

"How do you know him?"

The youkai suddenly gave a low chuckle. "We are his—and your—ancestors," he answered.

Yusuke stepped back for a moment and looked at the other youkai attached to the pillars. He had failed to notice before that every single one of them held the same whitish hair as he and Raizen did. He narrowed his eyes sharply and looked at the youkai before him.

"How long has it been since you were trapped?"

The youkai took in a rattling breath. "Over five millennia," he answered.

Yusuke nodded. "Would you like to be freed from your prison?" he inquired.

The youkai looked at him dully—but the faint glimmer of hope in his eyes betrayed the pessimistic tone in his voice.

"It's impossible. You could not do it before," he hissed.

Yusuke leaned back and wrapped his arms around Kurama and Hiei. "Ah, but it was just me before," he pointed out. He then faced his companions. "So what say you? Want to free them from their misery?"

"How?" questioned Kurama.

"Leave that to me," answered Yusuke as he walked further away from the two. "Hold hands, close your eyes, and just relax. I'll do the rest."

Kurama and Hiei complied with little complaint and soon heard the mellow chanting of Yusuke as he began his incantation. During the chant they experienced a noticeable drop in their physical energy as well as their spiritual. It was a strange occurrence and if not for the total trust they had in Yusuke, they would have withdrawn immediately. But the latter's calming presence allowed them to remain at ease.

"Done," chimed Yusuke suddenly when he broke their circle.

The youkai were no longer present. That was the first thing they noticed. On a second glance they were quick to note that the entire landscape had changed as well. The fog had lifted and the inky blue sky was seen above them. The watery backdrop was still in place but no longer held the same threat it did prior to Yusuke's spell.

"This place is now magic-free," announced Yusuke with a grin. He then gestured to the stones. "Now they're pretty much exactly like Stonehenge without the magical barrier."

"Where are the youkai now?" queried Kurama.

"Free—hopefully," replied Yusuke. He placed a hand on his hip and looked at him and Hiei curiously. "I was thinking before…I think it's about time we head over to the Reikai and give Koenma a call."

Hiei studied Yusuke closely. "Why now?" he inquired.

"I'm pretty sure now that whoever's responsible for my curse originated from here—and I think I know why as well."

* * *

TBC

Apologies for the delay. Life is busy.


	10. Song

* * *

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part X**

* * *

Three days had passed since their fateful encounter at the marshes. Yusuke had been slowly contemplating the situation, taking in what he knew and what he could safely assume. Then there were the other possibilities and reasons to consider. He had been uncharacteristically quiet during those three days and had managed to elicit a growing sense of concern from both Kurama and Hiei before he finally snapped out of his long reverie. "The journey goes on until I find out more," he declared with renewed vigor.

His original intention was for Hiei and Kurama to head over to the Reikai and him to enter the Ningenkai. However, both kitsune and koorime objected to that idea immediately. If Yusuke was going anywhere, they would follow—or someone else would have to go along with him. The debate went on for several minutes while they were taking a rest in the new, magically banished marshes.

"But it's so much faster this way if we split up," argued Yusuke.

Kurama shook his head gravely. "We cannot let you go alone. Let Hiei or I accompany you at least," he reasoned. "It's you who's the target, Yusuke. Surely you understand our concerns."

Yusuke gave an aggravated sigh and looked at the two resignedly. "So who wants to go to Koenma?" he prompted.

Hiei snorted once and looked away. Kurama smiled slightly. "I suppose that would mean me," he answered.

"You'll be okay alone?"

"Don't worry about me, Yusuke. I have my own reputation as well."

Yusuke gave an impish grin before looking at Hiei. "Well, Squirt, I guess it's you and me again. Think you can handle going back to the Ningenkai?" he questioned.

"Shut your mouth and let's just go."

A surprised look sprawled its way across Yusuke's face at Hiei's harsh response. Kurama leaned in closer to him. "He's been feeling very tense since we freed the prisoners. I can't blame him, though—I feel the same way," he whispered.

Yusuke narrowed his eyes. "Do you sense something I don't?" he asked.

Kurama shrugged. "I've been feeling we're being watched, but I cannot detect anyone or anything—it's just something that's been nagging me since we came back from the prisons," he explained.

"Well, damn. I don't sense anything," remarked Yusuke. "I'm sure it's nothing, though. Might be some residue magic in the air that's been bothering you. Either way, we better get a move on."

The silver-haired youkai nodded and gathered his pack. "I'll be taking my leave now then. Good luck to you both—and Yusuke, try not to push yourself too hard," he called out as he leapt away gracefully.

Yusuke offered a grin and a thumbs-up as he watched Kurama disappear through the mist. He turned to face Hiei. "You don't even say bye?" he scolded playfully.

"What's the point? We'll see each other again."

"Man, you're a stiff. I would have thought all these years would soften you up."

"Again, you never cease to astonish me in your miraculous expectations of my changing."

Yusuke stared at him for a moment before quietly placing his belt over his black sash. "You really are in a bad mood aren't you?" he stated before moving off.

Hiei remained still for several moments before cursing to himself and following after Yusuke. They traveled in silence and despite the noticeable tension between himself and the latter Hiei preferred it this way. It gave him a better chance to scope their surroundings without distraction—and he could not help but follow his instincts when they were telling him so blatantly that something was not right. He glanced at Yusuke's silent form and observed his pale face and the dark circles that ran underneath his eyes. He had been doing well in hiding his obvious distress, but Kurama and Hiei were already one step ahead. There was not the slightest possibility they would have let Yusuke go off alone.

It worried Hiei that Yusuke's condition was worsening. His memory lapses seemed to be decreasing in number, but the severity in their manner when they did occur had doubled. It had taken both his and Kurama's combined efforts to keep Yusuke from hurting himself and them in his last attack. Hopefully, nothing too serious would happen during their trip to the Ningenkai. But it was not the actual journey that concerned him—it was _when _they got there that made him uneasy. Hiei narrowed his eyes and thought to himself in vain that they should have recruited more youkai for this part of the trip. If Yusuke had another attack like the one while they were in the marshes, he was sure he would not be able to hold him back by himself.

A vague feeling of urgency rushed through him at that instant and Hiei looked up to see a shadowed figure fly above them. Both he and Yusuke launched themselves into defensive positions automatically as they eyed the creature warily.

"How big is it?" inquired Yusuke as he squinted his eyes. The creature was a good height above them, circling them like a vulture and never lowering its altitude.

Hiei's eyes widened slightly. "That's—"

"Oh, shit!"

Without warning, the creature launched itself downwards at an alarming speed. The vulture-like figure quickly transformed into a raging reptilian animal on the verge of crashing straight into them. Yusuke reacted first by grabbing Hiei's wrist and pulling them away to a safer distance as the animal collided with the ground on a tremendous note. Splinters of trees and flying dirt filled the air as the creature shifted itself lazily.

"What the fuck is that?" cried out Yusuke in dismay.

"_That_ will be the death of _us_ if we don't move _now_," replied Hiei as took Yusuke's arm and began dragging them towards the trees.

The demonic snake began to slither after them and Hiei cursed inwardly to himself. The chances of them encountering a basilisk were rare, but considering they were still near the marshes, it was not altogether impossible. However, this basilisk seemed to be tracking them down for another purpose besides food. Perhaps this what Hiei and Kurama had been sensing for the past few days.

"I sure as hell hope Kurama didn't have to face off against something like this, too!"

"There's only one basilisk in the Makai."

"So how in the world did we get stuck with it?"

"That's what I want to know."

The snake seemed to almost be playing with them—gliding in and out through the trees smoothly while biding its time to strike. It was always a thrill to catch the mouse. Hiei considered their options. Facing off against a basilisk was naturally their last resort. They had notoriously dangerous poison and their scales were impenetrable to nearly any attack, both reiki and youki.

As they flew past the forest, Yusuke suddenly stilled. Hiei looked at him apprehensively.

"What is it?"

"I just…got this weird feeling…"

If possible Yusuke appeared even paler than before and his eyes widened with some emotion that Hiei could neither identify nor see. The basilisk slowed to a halt several yards behind them and the shorter youkai looked back at it darkly.

"We have to fight now," he muttered.

Yusuke suddenly jerked forward without any heed towards the awaiting basilisk.

"Yusuke!"

Hiei attempted to move before an invisible force held him back at the feet. He looked down at the ground in disbelief before shifting his gaze back to Yusuke, who had taken on an impassive demeanor. His eyes were hard and cold as he stared the basilisk down and there was a certain fluidity to which he moved that Hiei never saw before. Yusuke then began forming different signatures in the air, light trailing from each of his fingers as he wrote the foreign characters. Hiei watched tensely as the basilisk began moving towards Yusuke slowly, a predatory look gleaming in its eyes.

Before he could give any warning, however, Yusuke thrust both hands out in front of him and the basilisk froze in its spot, crimson eyes glazing over. Whilst murmuring words underneath his breath, an unearthly glow surrounded the basilisk's body before disappearing altogether without a trace. A harsh wind blew throughout the forest and a whisper of an unfamiliar word echoed silently when finally all grew to calmness.

Hiei suddenly started from his place and found, unsurprisingly, that he was able to move. He walked over to Yusuke. "What was that?" he demanded quietly.

"A spell," he replied, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. "A spell I had almost forgotten about. It was one of my first spells learned—to transport objects. Pretty handy, huh?"

"Where did you take it?"

"Some place far from here!" laughed Yusuke as he yawned. "Ah, that certainly took a lot more energy out of me than expected."

Hiei watched him sullenly before walking ahead. "We have to keep moving," he retorted dryly.

"Aye, aye, captain."

As they began their journey again, Hiei glanced at Yusuke for a moment before finally venturing a question. "What was that before you attacked? You said you sensed something," he inquired as unobtrusively as possible.

Yusuke remained silent for a while, though there was a definite amount of confusion swimming in the pools of his dark eyes. "Like I said…I just got a weird feeling. Like an unfamiliar presence was with us—watching. But as soon as I began casting the spell I forgot about it," he replied slowly. "It was like for a second I could have sworn someone else was there with us. But then it disappeared and I snapped out of my trance."

A perturbing emotion over swept Hiei's mind as he regarded Yusuke's words with caution. So perhaps there was someone else watching over them—and it could have very well been that person who launched the basilisk on them. But controllers were rare in the Makai—and they were a part of the specific branch of magic users recruited by powerful youkai to do their bidding. In fact they were possibly the only type of magic users left in the Makai. All others had been wiped out without a trace.

_Or they fled back to the Ningenkai. _The thought entered Hiei's mind unbidden. _Why did the magic users from the Ningenkai enter the Makai in the first place?_ The question had the fiery youkai's mind reeling.

"Why did they leave the Ningenkai?" he prompted abruptly.

Yusuke cast him a curious look. "The magic users?" he clarified. Hiei nodded. The taller youkai gave a thoughtful pause. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea. Kairi never mentioned it either. I'm assuming they just wanted to expand their territory. After all, they weren't too liked in the Ningenkai as well. I guess when they discovered the Makai they wanted to explore it and see if they could establish settlements here as well."

"They were better off in their original homes," muttered Hiei darkly.

"True that," agreed Yusuke with a light chuckle.

They paused for several minutes, gauging the situation. Hiei still could not fight off the overwhelming sense of being followed and finally withdrew his katana as they continued through the forest. Yusuke eyed him amusedly for a moment before lifting up a hand, staring at the air in mystification

"I know that youki…"

And suddenly from above them dropped a fast blur of red and brown colors that collided heavily with Yusuke. Hiei jumped back and watched the scene unfold before his eyes with mild relief and some exasperation.

"Urameshi! I knew you could sense me from anywhere!"

"Jin! What the hell? What are you _doing_ here?"

The red-haired youkai crawled off of Yusuke and helped the latter to his feet before answering merrily, "I crashed into Kurama before. He told me that you guys shouldn't have been far off. He didn't tell me to follow you, but I had a feeling he wanted me to so I did!"

"But why were you here anyway?" inquired Yusuke in bafflement.

Jin's eyes darkened as he leaned into Yusuke conspiringly. "You know that flower Touya was gung-ho on finding? Well, he's still looking. And he dragged everyone else into it as well. We all separated to look in different regions of the Makai. I was assigned this place. It's a bit close to the marshes but—well, when Touya gets all fired up about something I would rather go through the marshes than his temper," he said darkly.

Yusuke smiled whimsically. "That flower still? You know that forest where we met up last time? It was in there. In fact, I took some samples of it," he replied, taking out the rumpled petals from his pockets.

Jin looked aghast. "Are you serious? You mean all this time we've been ransacking the entire Makai and it was in a place we _already looked in_?" he cried out in dismay.

"Yep."

"That is not even funny. I'm going to kill Touya."

"Now?" Hiei asked abruptly.

The red-haired youkai looked at Hiei in surprise. "Well—why, do you have something for me to do?"

Hiei remained silent and it was then that Yusuke caught drift of his plan. "You want to come to the Ningenkai with us?" he inquired, half-wondering to himself how overprotective Hiei was being.

Jin's ears wiggled excitedly as he jumped up and down. "The _Ningenkai_? You mean where the _humans_ are? Really? Of course I'll go with you! But why are we anyway?" he said all in a rush.

"Uh…," Yusuke began before laughing to himself. "It's kind of a long story."

"The idiot's been hit by some sort of curse and we're tracking down clues that might give us an idea of whoever the perpetrator is."

Both Jin and Yusuke shot Hiei surprised looks. The shorter youkai rolled his eyes.

"Wow, you serious, Yusuke? Why didn't you tell us before? I could have gotten the others guys to help!"

"Let's just say…I didn't want the news to be known to a lot of people until I figured out the situation myself first. But—as you can see—that plan didn't go too well."

Jin slugged Yusuke in the arm. "You're doing it again, aren't you? Some day this tough guy routine is going to wind up killing you, Yusuke," he admonished lightly.

The white-haired youkai shrugged helplessly.

"So this is what you've been doing all this time, eh? Chuu was getting a little suspicious when I told him I saw you and Hiei hanging out by that old forest. I guess I can understand his worries now!"

Yusuke waved his hand. "He's just mad that we're off having an adventure without him," he replied.

Jin laughed. "So we are going to the Ningenkai then? But…how am I going to disguise these?" he exclaimed, pointing at the horn on his forehead and his eagerly flapping ears. "And not to mention these," he added while bearing his fangs.

An amused look made its way onto Yusuke's face. "I forgot how much more _demon-like_ you are compared to Kurama and Hiei," he remarked to himself.

"What does _that_ mean?"

"Ah, nothing, nothing…"

Jin's ears wiggled some more before he pounced on top of Yusuke, throwing the latter to the ground. "So you're saying I'm not as _pretty_ as those two, eh? Well, you're not much for looks either, Urameshi!" he exclaimed, placing Yusuke in a sealed headlock.

"Well! It's true!" gasped Yusuke as he fought down the urge to smirk lest Jin grow even more violent.

The red-haired youkai released Yusuke after a few moments and grinned widely. "Yeah, I know!" he chirped cheerfully.

The two then laughed at each other.

Hiei folded his arms and attempted to calm his rising nerves. It seemed he had two unbearably loud and headstrong companions now as opposed to just the one before. He tried not to let that fact get to him too much.

He glanced at the sky and frowned slightly. Then there was the mystery of the basilisk. He still could not let go of its sudden appearance so easily. It seemed too coincidental that it would appear right after they came out of the marshes. And there was still that annoying pestering in the back of his mind—telling him that he was still missing a vital piece to the puzzle. Hiei narrowed his eyes and tightened his fist slowly until the knuckles turned white. The situation was getting too far out of hand. He shot Yusuke a spare look for a moment. There were so many uncertainties—he did not know where to begin at all. He doubted a trip to the Ningenkai would aid in things any further.

"Are we leaving—or not? It's a few hours' run from here to the Ningenkai. We best make haste if we want to be there by nightfall," he directed impassively.

Jin and Yusuke stared at Hiei with some surprise before laughing again. Hiei tried not to think about how their unanimous actions were beginning to ingrate his nerves and gave them a hard stare. Finally Yusuke nodded. "Sure thing, Hiei. Let's get going then."

As they were about to start moving again, Hiei's arm whipped out to stop Yusuke. The latter stared at him in confusion. "What is it?" he asked before automatically catching a dart that flew towards his face. "What the hell?"

Hiei gritted his teeth. "More company," he said wryly.

And just as soon as he uttered those words a rain of darts followed. The three separated quickly and outran the flying projectiles skillfully before Yusuke called out to the other two. "Do you know where it's coming from?"

"Whoa! Eh…not too sure there, Yusuke! I'm just trying not to get nicked here!" exclaimed Jin as he took to the sky, the darts following him.

"This is not a normal—" Hiei began before abruptly freezing as he caught glimpse of a dart heading towards the back of Yusuke's head, unnoticed completely by him. He immediately shifted in his direction. "Yusuke!"

The taller youkai took one look at Hiei before his mind suddenly clouded over. And nearly a split second later, he felt the slight sting of something pinching the back of his neck—then he was falling, falling into a darkened abyss of nothingness.

Hiei narrowed his eyes at the fallen body of his companion before realizing the other darts had ceased in their movement. They hung in the air around them, as if time itself had stopped. Jin lowered himself to the ground delicately before spotting Yusuke.

"Yusuke!" he gasped as he began heading to him before Hiei's voice held him back.

"Don't. The enemy is still here."

Jin balled his fists angrily. "All right, where the hell are you, eh? Show yourself!" he exclaimed furiously.

There was a silence for a while as Hiei surveyed the area. The hanging darts glittered dangerously in the sunlight and he could see drops of a amber liquid oozing from the tips slowly. He took one more glance at Yusuke. The latter was unmoving. Hiei felt anger swarming up inside of him.

"Aah, poor, poor, Urameshi! To have to suffer for the actions of another!" sang a haunting voice.

Jin and Hiei exchanged bewildered expressions as the voice within the trees continued.

"First the curse, and then the poison, it will overwhelm you until there is nothing left. You will die…die…die and vanish. No one will remember you—they will all forget you. Ah, to suffer such a fate for the actions of another! Life simply isn't fair."

The voice then faded away into a whisper, the words barely caught by Hiei's sharp ears, before disappearing altogether. The darts clattered to the ground in an uproar of metal clanking and both he and Jin remained completely still before Yusuke's screams filled the air. After that, Hiei could only watch numbly as Jin turned Yusuke's body over, examining the latter closely as he continued his anguished cries. And Hiei kept watching whilst the fragmented voice echoed through his mind endlessly until he could not longer bear it and left the scene.

_Ah, to suffer a fate for the actions of another! Life simply isn't fair…_

* * *

TBC

Computer problems, no online access, hence the delay in this chapter being uploaded. The computer problem is still not fixed so who knows when the next update will occur. Please be patient. It's been very troublesome for me to deal with. The solution comes in the form of a new computer, which basically means the one I am using now is almost dead. It is, I swear, an absolute miracle I managed to even go online.

Anyhow...the plot thickens. Heh.


	11. City Life

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**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part XI**

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The Ningenkai had prospered economically in the past three centuries. Scientific research was at the height of its glory and the environment had improved drastically due to newfound methods of utilizing renewable resources for energy. Indeed, it seemed like a new era of peace and affluence had finally entered the human world for there was little dissent to be found among the masses and people in general seemed healthier and brighter than they were ever before.

Jin snorted to himself. Or at least, that was what the humans told themselves. In reality, the fairness of the whole deal was greatly skewed to one side. There was the rich and powerful—and then there existed those who lived among dirt and the deepest end of poverty. In Jin's opinions, the humans were exactly the same as they ever were. Ignorant, naïve, and selfish.

"Where did you put Urameshi?" he asked when Hiei arrived beside him—as silent as ever.

They were situated atop a tall apartment building that overlooked Tokyo. The city was as glamorous as ever. Jin's ears wiggled excitedly over the prospect of being so close to humans. He had never harbored a particular _fondness _for them—but nor was he particularly hostile towards them. He just found some of their attitudes rather haughty and amused himself mentally with thoughts of deflating those egos.

"He has an apartment here. The same one he lived in as a human," answered Hiei.

Jin looked amazed. "He managed to keep a place here for over three hundred years?" he said incredulously.

Hiei looked mildly amused as he overlooked the cityscape. "That's what I thought too."

"He's still a little…eh…_off_ then?"

The smaller youkai threw a sharp glance at Jin. "You saw him two days ago. He hasn't improved much at all except for the fact that he can actually string together coherent sentences now," he said impassively.

Jin blinked, wide-eyed. It confused him so much sometimes—Hiei's behavior towards Yusuke. In general he always assumed the two got along relatively well—sure, they did like to threaten each other from time to time—but that was normal. He and Chuu exchanged such remarks with each other every day, but that did not mean they _hated_ each other. But now Hiei's coldness puzzled Jin. Perhaps this was because he wasn't as close to him as he was to Yusuke. The smaller youkai always did intimidate him a little. In fact, Jin thought with some surprise, this was the first time they were alone together.

"You're not worried?" he asked.

"About?" The fiery youkai hadn't even flinched.

Jin was beginning to grow annoyed. "_Yusuke_, of course!" he exclaimed. "I thought you were _friends_?"

Hiei finally looked at him. Something strange was written in his eyes as he spoke. Jin was too busy attempting to understand those emotions to pay any sort of attention to what Hiei said in response. But what did it matter what he said. Jin already predicted he would make some sort of noncommittal remark—but his eyes—his eyes proved something else altogether. He was fascinated.

"…we should head back now. There's not much we can do without Yusuke's assistance since neither your nor I know the Ningenkai well enough to explore on our own," came Hiei's voice as it finally filtered through Jin's mind.

He started. "Oi, where's your sense of adventure, huh?"

"We cannot leave Yusuke and I don't trust you enough to let you go off alone."

Jin's ears dropped—but inwardly he was exalted. So the cold and unfeeling Hiei _was_ concerned about Yusuke after all. He simply expressed it in such roundabout ways that it confused Jin greatly. Why couldn't Hiei just be more _open_ about his emotions? It would have made his life so much easier—and not to mention he would have a lot more friends that way. Jin's respect for Yusuke and Kurama went up considerably. To be able to keep up tidings with Hiei was no ordinary feat.

"Fine, fine, but we should do _something_. It seems like a waste of time. Urameshi wouldn't want us to dawdle about uselessly watching him sleep."

Hiei's gaze seemed to darken at Jin as he turned towards him. For a brief second, the redhead felt some fear before laughing it off.

"Hey, I'm just saying, Hiei. You think I'm not worried about him? Of course I am. But what good are we doing by simply watching over him?"

"What good can we do in a world that is foreign to us without a guide?"

The severity in Hiei's tone stilled Jin's flammable temper from erupting. Hiei certainly emitted a dangerous and frightening aura when he was annoyed. How in the _world _did Yusuke and Kurama handle him for so long without complaint? Jin was floored. Even Shishiwakamaru and Touya were not this cold. Hiei was about the most complicated person he had ever encountered. And being with him alone and experiencing all his reactions and words firsthand made it that much more obvious the difference between him and Yusuke.

Jin sighed wearily. Ah, he did miss Yusuke's company right about now. Without him there was no balance to his and Hiei's temperaments. It was only out of respect—and some fear—that kept him from really drilling Hiei to the ground with his usual antics. But it was such an exhausting procedure. Jin was a fun and spontaneous guy. Yusuke appreciated this because he was the same way. But with Hiei—well, quite frankly Jin wasn't suicidal. He wanted to live a long life, thank you very much.

"Do you have any idea who's behind this?"

If Hiei was in any way surprised by the sudden change in topic, he never showed it. "Yusuke said he had a good idea—but he needed to come back here to be sure. I have no idea what he was thinking—except that there is the high possibility of a magic user behind all this."

Jin narrowed his eyes. "I thought they were extinct."

"Not quite. They still exist. And I'm willing to bet that those skilled enough would be hiding themselves all these years from both demon and human eyes."

The red-haired youkai shook his head. "What the heck did Yusuke get himself into," he muttered to himself not for the first time since he entered this mission.

They entered the apartment through the balcony. It was a breezy place—much larger than what Hiei remembered. But then he recalled Yusuke telling him once that they had renovated the building a few years ago for upgrades. It was strange how Hiei paid those idle conversations no heed when he actually had them—but now they proved to be beneficial in explaining their current situation in the Ningenkai. He just hoped Kurama was having better luck in the Reikai. He was sure Koenma would not agree so easily to help them—but that was why Kurama had gone in the first place. He was the much more experienced diplomat.

The room in which Yusuke was situated in was the master bedroom—spacious and sparsely furnished. The other two bedrooms in the apartment were smaller, but just as elegant as the rest of the complex. Yusuke had made up a very simple and direct décor for his Ningenkai home. The floors were wooden and the walls of the house were painted black. It seemed almost too simple and abstract to associate it with Yusuke's rather loud personality—but Hiei supposed that he had just created it more for necessity than actual dwelling. He had been genuinely surprised when he found out that he still had an apartment in Japan—and almost equally shocked with himself when he remembered how to arrive here exactly. He had never been by Yusuke's home much in the distant past—but his memory proved more faithful to him than he originally thought. A good thing too, because as soon as Yusuke had told him he still possessed the same apartment in the Ningenkai, he had fainted dead away.

Jin immediately went into the kitchen for food. He looked at the drawers and opened the refrigerator experimentally. "Humans," he remarked with a touch of humor. He rummaged around for a bit before pulling out a hand-wrapped sandwich bag. He held it up curiously. "Can I eat this?"

Without waiting for a reply, he unwrapped it and took a large bite. He chewed slowly before swallowing. "Hey…not bad!"

Hiei shook his head and went instead to Yusuke's room. The latter had been barely conscious over the past two days and Hiei was growing more and more disheartened by the sudden change in events. The poison that had hit Yusuke was virtually unknown to both him and Jin—and the flowers had done nothing for him. Perhaps Kurama would have been the better candidate to accompany Yusuke on this part of his quest. Hiei was sure that if the kitsune had been here there would have been an antidote whipped up without the slightest complications.

And now all they could was wait around. Hiei's own knowledge of poisons was fair—but this one must have been specially developed by even more knowledgeable experts. It pained him to know that there was nothing he could do but sit by and watch Yusuke whither away.

"Hiei."

The fiery youkai had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he had not even noticed when he entered Yusuke's room. The latter was sitting up in his bed, a weary smile in place.

"Don't be so gloomy."

Hiei paused. There were times where Yusuke's insight on his own thoughts and feelings were almost too accurate to be reassuring. He walked over to the window and gazed at the setting sun. "Jin's going to wind up eating all your food."

Yusuke's laughter reached his ears. "Yeah, well he can go right on ahead. I have some servants come here every week to drop by a new supply," he replied.

"I wasn't aware you came here so frequently."

"Only when I'm feeling particularly sex-deprived."

At this Hiei whipped around to stare at Yusuke. The latter smiled back at him cheekily. Hiei scowled deeply at being just had.

"There we go. I was beginning to worry there for a minute."

"You're incorrigible."

Yusuke laughed again. "That's a new one."

Hiei studied Yusuke's face carefully. He appeared much livelier than when they first brought him in. At that time his complexion was so white and deathly that Hiei was almost sure he would be gone by the night. But somehow—fortunately—he had managed to strive through to the next day. Hiei breathed a little easier from then on.

"Have you heard from Kurama?"

"No."

Yusuke's eyebrows strung together deeply. "It shouldn't take him this long. Koenma's relatively easy to persuade," he commented before smiling fondly. "God knows how many times I had to do it."

There was a brief tugging by Hiei's lips as he watched Yusuke. "I'm sure."

Yusuke had reverted back to his human form. It surprised Hiei when he did this—but then he remembered that Yusuke was only holding up an illusion. A rather extraordinary illusion, but nothing more. Yusuke himself had said that he hadn't been in his actual human form since Kairi trained him—which had been a good fifty years ago.

"So when should we get started?"

"Pardon?"

Hiei's eyebrow rose slightly at Yusuke's question. He knew it would be coming eventually, but it still surprised him. Yusuke still gave little thought to his own body and health; it was not a good trait.

"Investigate. Hello."

The sarcasm didn't go unnoticed by Hiei. He narrowed his eyes. "Investigate. Now. You're either joking or a bigger fool than I originally thought you to be," he replied tonelessly.

Yusuke went on unfazed. "Hiei. That _is_ the reason why we came here. And besides—I'm fine now! We can go!"

Hiei bit back his words out of respect for his sickened companion.

"Oi, Urameshi, are you really _that_ thick?" quipped Jin suddenly as he entered the room, his cheeks blushed from anger. Hiei regarded him mildly as he began his rant. "I know this is important to you and all that, but for crying out loud, you're _poisoned_. Does that mean anything to you, eh? You go out into the city now and who knows what the hell will happen. What if we're attacked again? We might not be able to cover for you, Yusuke! You could get hurt _again_ or even _die_! What type of friends would we be to let you leave this place, eh? And don't tell me you don't care or need our help because I know for a fact that if either me or Hiei were in _your_ place, you would never let us out of your sight too!"

After that, Hiei's respect and liking towards Jin rose dramatically.

Yusuke stared at the redhead for a long time. Then finally he shook his head, failing to suppress the grin from spreading over his face. "Well. That's the first time I've lost a debate without saying a single word whatsoever," he said resignedly.

The red was gone from Jin's face as he slugged Yusuke lightly on his shoulder. "You're a real idiot sometimes, you know that, Urameshi? A _real_ idiot!" he scolded affectionately.

Hiei folded his arms as he looked towards the window. "Speak of the devil," he muttered.

Yusuke eyed him curiously before following his gaze. "What is…? Holy shit."

Floating in the middle of the air outside of Yusuke's window was the unmistakable, undeniably transparent form of a long-time rival and best friend waving cheerfully at them. Yusuke leaned forward in his shock and blinked several times.

"Kuwabara?"

The spirit glided through the walls and stood before them—solidifying with each passing second until he finally looked corporeal and _alive_. "Yo, Urameshi, Hiei, Jin!" he greeted happily.

It had been over thee hundred years since Yusuke saw any of his old friends. Of course, that had been imposed by the rules of his bet with Koenma, but he never expected them to come to _him_. He shook his head in wonder.

"Why are you _here_?"

Kuwabara looked decidedly put out. "Well, gee, thanks, Urameshi. I come here to help you out and that's the welcoming I get. Fine. Be like that!" he replied indignantly.

Three hundred years and Kuwabara still hadn't matured in the slightest.

Yusuke laughed in amazement. "Koenma actually allowed you to come here?"

"'Che. We could have done it all these years if we wanted to—or at least, me and the rest of the fighters. Keiko wouldn't have been able to since she never possessed any spiritual energy in the first place. But yeah, we could've done it except Koenma said something about a bet you made with him and all that—I don't remember what it was exactly, but then Kurama came by yesterday and told us what was going on. And if you thought we would have let you go on alone then you're insane, man!"

Hiei watched silently as Yusuke stared at Kuwabara. "You're…really here."

Kuwabara arched an eyebrow. "No, _duh_. Gee, did you lose some of your _brains_ these past years, Urameshi, or what?"

Only Hiei could have read that unreadable look in Yusuke's eyes as he smiled back at Kuwabara wordlessly. Long ago those words would have sparked insults and curses from him, but now Yusuke had moved past those juvenile remarks. Hiei could tell that he was genuinely happy to see Kuwabara again—and genuinely moved by what the redhead had said. Even Hiei himself was warmed by the blatant sincerity in Kuwabara's tone. And he knew that despite whatever Kuwabara said about being able to leave the Reikai at will, it would never have been possible without Koenma's assent. He allowed a small smile to surface. It seemed that baby did have some good points.

"But what the hell did you get yourself into this time, huh? You're in an even bigger mess than that time we were facing off against Sensui! And you winded up _dying_ that time so that's definitely saying something."

Yusuke sighed. "Ah, it's a long story. And didn't you say you heard it from Kurama?"

Kuwabara looked somewhat dispirited. "Well…we did…but…I wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. It was too serious-sounding! I couldn't help it if I lost interest! All I heard was, 'Yusuke's been cursed and we have no idea who's behind it.' That was enough for me."

Jin howled in laughter. "You're a good guy, Kuwabara!" he exclaimed, clapping the other man on the back.

Hiei studied this motion. "So you're real," he commented idly.

Kuwabara jumped. "The pipsqueak's here too? I didn't even see you there! And what do you mean I'm real? You see and hear me, right? What else can I be then?"

It seemed, Hiei thought to himself, that Kuwabara had become sharper in the latter part of his life. And infinitely more sarcastic. But his hardheadedness was still as present as ever. "I mean you have a solid body. Did Koenma grant you this?" he pointed out coldly.

"Well, let's see… He _is_ the god of death… And yeah, I _don't_ remember ever having the ability to create bodies for myself so _yes_, it must have been Koenma's doing!"

Kuwabara caught himself just in time to catch the scathing glare Hiei was shooting at him and laughed if off jokingly. Even after all these years the little guy still scared the crap out of him. And that was no small fact. He had almost forgotten how dangerous Hiei could be when pissed off.

"Guys, guys, I don't have to be the mediator in all this again do I?" broke in Yusuke.

The latter was falling back into his bed before closing his eyes for a moment. Suddenly all the adrenaline of the situation was seeped from his system and Yusuke felt a heaviness in his limbs. He opened his eyes to see everyone's concerned looks.

"Urameshi…is this what the curse is doing to you?" Kuwabara asked slowly, staring at his bedridden friend in surprise. He had been too distracted in his earlier entrance and Hiei's words to really take in Yusuke's appearance. The latter looked positively ill. He had never seen Yusuke like this before. Injured and bloody from battle was one thing, but this really frightened him.

"No, this is from the poisoned dart that hit him two days ago," answered Jin.

Kuwabara cursed to himself as he leaned over Yusuke to study his face more closely. "Jesus, man. You look more like death than Koenma himself."

Yusuke smiled weakly as he moved away from Kuwabara's prying gaze. "Thanks for the compliment," he said dryly.

"So where is Kurama?" inquired Hiei sharply.

Kuwabara finally backed away from Yusuke. "Um… He said he would be heading back here. But I was too excited so I left before him. He should be here by now, though…"

A worried look filled Yusuke's face. "What if something happened?"

"Relax, man! It's Kurama! He can take care of himself," reassured Kuwabara brightly.

Yusuke's gaze hardened. "Yeah, that's what I thought about myself too," he said blandly.

Hiei frowned.

"Dude, you're not like…_depressed_ or anything are you?" Kuwabara questioned hesitantly.

"What?" asked Yusuke in obvious confusion.

Hiei, in an uncharacteristically physical display, placed a hand on Yusuke's forehead and his frown deepened. "You're running a fever," he said.

"Man, you're just completely messed up right now, Urameshi," remarked Kuwabara in good humor—though anyone could have detected the undertone of concern in his voice.

Yusuke leaned back against his pillows. "Ah, to suffer such a fate for the actions of another. Life simply isn't fair," he said quietly.

Hiei froze. "What?"

The dark-haired man looked at him curiously. "What is it?" he asked.

"Those words… Where did you hear them?" Hiei queried, tone hard and unforgiving.

Yusuke blinked. "I don't know. It just…came out," he answered, shaking his head. "Why, have you heard them before?"

"Those were the words to the song we heard after you had been struck done by that dart. Someone in the trees or bushes was just singing this weird song about you dying and, well, suffering _for the actions of another_," explained Jin, a troubled look in his eyes. "It was really creepy, Yusuke."

The latter sighed deeply. "This whole thing is beginning to confuse the hell out of me."

Everyone jumped as Kuwabara headed towards the window just as a piercing object came flying through, spraying glass all over the floor. Yusuke looked up in alarm at his friend's back.

"What is it, Kuwabara?"

The redhead turned around slowly and they all stared at the knife embedded deeply in his chest. Yusuke looked aghast.

"Kuwabara! Are—?"

"Don't worry, Urameshi. I can't die again," cut in Kuwabara before unceremoniously pulling out the knife from his chest, leaving not a single trace of blood or injury. He held it up to the light. "There's a note attached to the grip."

Hiei took it from his hand and untied the small parchment of paper.

_Midnight. Border between the Ningenkai and Makai. Bring only one companion. All other intruders will be detected and handled correspondingly._

"A trap," he muttered darkly.

Jin read it speedily over his shoulder. "For sure."

Hiei gave the paper to Yusuke. "You're not going," he said.

The dark-haired man frowned slightly as he read the note. "I wonder what'll happen if I don't," he remarked idly.

A sudden smack caught their attention. Yusuke looked up to see Kuwabara pierced through the stomach with a long katana. The redhead pulled out the weapon with some disgust. "I am not a pincushion, goddamn it!" he cursed.

"I take it that's their answer," commented Jin lightly.

Yusuke shook his head. "How are they doing this? I couldn't even detect those weapons until the last second."

"They're magic users. I'm sure they would be able to mask their presences efficiently," remarked Hiei offhandedly. "But what's more important is this note."

"Well, I have to go, Hiei. You saw what happened to Kuwabara. If it had been you or Jin, you would not have been so lucky."

Hiei crossed his arms thoughtfully. It was true that whoever was behind this would probably carry out their threat if they did not go. And this was the chance they had been waiting for to find out something more about the situation. Yusuke was still in no condition to be going anywhere, but at least he would be able to have someone to look out for him. Hiei finally ceded to Yusuke's request.

"I will accompany you then."

Yusuke smiled winningly. "Of course."

Kuwabara was apoplectic. "What the hell? We don't even get a say in this, Shorty?"

"Say that again, Kuwabara."

Yusuke watched the exchange with something akin to nostalgia. It seemed almost like the old days. And even amidst all the danger and mystery of what was happening to him, Yusuke could not help but feel happy. Then once again a flash of pain clouded his vision and he closed his eyes, forgetting everything for a single moment to cope in his own darkness.

* * *

TBC

Yes, I love torturing Yusuke. Despite this, though, this was actually a very light-hearted chapter. Well, we needed it. Things have been growing rather dark lately in this story. And they will continue to do so for a while, trust me.

And would you believe I actually wrote this in one sitting? I suppose taking a little break _does_ help because as soon as I started typing, it just all came to me. It's a wonderful feeling.

Thank you to my reviewers/readers.


	12. Revelations

**

* * *

**

**The Kaleidoscope Syndrome**

**Part XII**

* * *

Kuwabara had forgotten how the Ningenkai felt like. Back in the Reikai, he and the others spent their time in endless fields of nature. The weather was always perfect and everything was simply sublime. Kuwabara would have gotten very bored if it weren't for the fact that Koenma would occasionally call upon him or the other fighters to help out on some missions with Botan. But other than that, the afterlife was pretty dull. He couldn't even count how many times he had wished he were back in the Ningenkai during the years.

And now that he was, Kuwabara was not going to waste anymore time. He took in all his surroundings like an excited preschooler on his way to the playground after lunch.

The Ningenkai was not what he remembered.

"Look at these gadgets! Man, what else will they come up with?"

That was what he said as he passed by each store window. Jin walked alongside him a bit sheepishly as passersby stared at them. He had done his best to hide his horns, but all he could manage to do was wrap a long scarf around his head until it became a strange sort of turban of plaid greens and blues. Kuwabara would have had a heart attack from laughing so hard if it hadn't been for the fact that he was already dead and thus, immune to such trivial things. Yusuke had directed him to change into other clothes to make it less obvious, but Jin still felt extremely uncomfortable. It was one thing to observe the humans, but another thing completely to actually _mingle_ with them.

"I wonder what those two are doing now," he said aloud wonderingly.

"Who knows?" Kuwabara replied offhandedly.

Right after Yusuke had fallen back asleep following their mysterious message that came flying through the window, Hiei had turned on both him and Kuwabara with such resolution that even they—known for being outspoken and argumentative—could not speak back. For some reason or another the fiery youkai had wanted them to leave the apartment. "Explore the city. Don't come back until after midnight," were his exact words. Jin had been flabbergasted, but amazingly enough it was Kuwabara who nodded immediately and dragged him out of the apartment without a word.

And now here they were—in the heart of Shinjuku with only a couple of more hours to spare until midnight. Jin dug his hands into the pockets of the jeans he borrowed from Yusuke. Human clothing was so _constrictive_—how in the world did they manage to wear these outfits every day? And these were only the _men's clothing_. He couldn't even begin to fathom how women wore those dresses and skirts and all those accessories that just dangled from their arms and ears like extra appendages.

"Humans," he muttered to himself for the third time in the last half hour.

Then he bumped into Kuwabara, who had stopped right in the middle of the street. Jin looked at him curiously. "What's up?" he asked.

"I think I know why Hiei wanted us to leave."

There was something mischievous in Kuwabara's tone. He sounded almost too eager to have stumbled upon this revelation. And the glittering in his eyes only spurred that thought. Jin arched an eyebrow warily.

"Oh?"

"You haven't noticed anything, huh?"

"What?"

Jin was seriously confused now. And he didn't bother hiding it. Kuwabara snickered.

"Hiei and Yusuke _of course_. Kurama was talking about it with Keiko yesterday. I didn't understand why but now…_I do_. So that's why he wanted us to leave… Heh… That Shorty is slyer than I thought!"

"What the _hell_ are you going on about, Kuwabara?" interjected Jin finally, frustrated and quite annoyed at being left out in this monologue.

Kuwabara faced him slowly with a grim expression. "Hiei wanted us to leave," he began dramatically, "to confess his love for Yusuke!"

"Oh. Right…wait. _WHAT?_"

* * *

Hiei stared at the clock hanging by the door. Yusuke had been sleeping for close to three hours now without stirring. Hiei had made himself a small but adequate dinner from the sandwiches left in the refrigerator and then spent the remaining time watching the sleeping youkai. The poison in Yusuke's system seemed to be relatively nonvolatile, but apparently it drained him of all his energy within a short span of time. Fortunately, that was all it did—so far at least. Hiei could watch over a sleeping patient better than a violent and thrashing one.

_Another four hours to go. _Hiei intended for Yusuke to get as much of his strength recovered by that time before heading out. If it had _really_ been up to him, however, he would have rather sedated the other youkai for the whole night than endanger his life even further. But reasoning and logic took over. Hiei would not allow his emotions to get in the way of this. He had already allowed them free reign over his actions for far too long now.

"Are you going to come out now or are you still playing your games?"

A low chuckle sounded behind him. "Perceptible as ever, Hiei. It's good to know you're not taking this lightly," came an all too familiar voice.

Hiei scowled as Koenma entered the room, cloaked darkly in his teenage form. The pacifier was still present, but there was also an uncanny look of seriousness in the god's eyes that stayed Hiei's words.

"What are you doing here?"

Koenma's gaze flickered once over Yusuke's form. "He's done so much for all three worlds. It seems rather sick that they would have destined for such a thing."

"What do you mean?" Hiei demanded.

The death god looked at him sternly. "I'm putting myself at a great risk by doing this, Hiei. But it's the least I can do for a friend I suppose," he said. "This quest…it will end tragically for you and Yusuke—especially Yusuke. He will die—this time for good."

Hiei felt his insides freeze. "Is that so?" he said tightly.

Koenma nodded wearily and folded his arms. "I guess it's because he's escaped us one too many times. Either way, the Reikai wants him—and there is no escaping it."

"So why tell me?" growled Hiei, tightening his fists in anger.

Koenma looked up sharply. "Because I _can_ help. Just by me telling you what will happen to Yusuke is changing the course of his fate. I cannot tell him personally, but I most certainly can tell _you—_you, who are one of his closest companions. And _we_ can change his fate—that is…if you're up to it," he explained with a hint of a smirk.

Hiei relaxed his grip. "A man's fate cannot be changed. Isn't that what you said?"

"Normally, yes. But tell me—how many people have the god of death on his side?" retorted Koenma dryly.

"Why did you say it would end tragically for me as well?"

Koenma remained silent for a while. There was nothing written in his eyes. Hiei knew for a fact that the god could very well be as detached as he when the situation called for such a thing.

"The circumstances revolving around Yusuke's death… Suffice to say, it will push you over the edge."

Hiei narrowed his gaze on the death god. "But we can change this."

Koenma nodded. "Yes…yes, we can," he said. Then with a sigh, "I can't tell you everything that will happen—nor can I offer you any real _help_ per se. All I can do is guide you. A man's fate is something not so easily altered after all."

"Are you really doing this out of camaraderie?"

"I'm not here for any ordinary business, Hiei. I have many duties to perform at the Reikai—my visit here hardly fits into my schedule," was the harsh response.

Hiei looked at Yusuke's sleeping form. "You're doing this for him."

"Please. I'm not nearly as soft as that. Besides…there is something else amiss. Yusuke, as far as I can remember, was never meant to die until a very long, long time. Something changed in his destiny—something I cannot identify. But it has shifted the balance dramatically. And until I find out what that is exactly, Yusuke must stay alive."

"When was his death due?"

Koenma gave a humorless chuckle. "Tonight—right after your midnight escapade."

Surprise made Hiei stare at Koenma openly. "And you give me the warning _now_?" he asked.

"Yes. So be on guard," the god replied airily. He tossed his cloak over to the side. "And good luck on this mission—you'll need it. Might I also add this small piece of advice: think outside the box. It's never really been one of Yusuke's specialties—though he has improved greatly since his days as a Reikai Tantei. And speak your mind—no matter how outrageous or incredible it may seem. He's not nearly as thickheaded as he appears and can be quite open-minded about many things."

With that Koenma bowed slightly and tossed a small ring to Hiei. He didn't say anything as to what it was for and only nodded once before leaving the room and apartment altogether through a bright portal. Hiei stared at the ring in his hand for a while, letting Koenma's last words sink into his head. _"Speak your mind." _There seemed to be some other message lurking underneath those words—something that reminded Hiei a lot of a certain silver-haired kitsune's advice on his dealings with Yusuke.

It seemed everyone was out to make him open up to his feelings for Yusuke. Hiei frowned deeply.

"_Tonight—right after your midnight escapade."_

The same icy grip latched itself onto his heart as Hiei balled his fist so tightly that his whole arm began trembling from the pressure. "Not if I can help it."

"Help what?"

The fiery youkai turned around and saw Yusuke staring at him blearily as he mussed his hair messily. "Help from wondering how long an idiot can stay asleep."

Yusuke yawned. "It's not my fault."

Hiei stared at him. _"And you give me the warning _now_?" _He silently thanked Koenma. The god, despite his meddlesome personality and ongoing sarcasm, was a true comrade. Hiei couldn't imagine losing Yusuke again so soon—without any answers at all. But Koenma's message disturbed him. Originally, the case seemed relatively straightforward, despite its many complexities. Someone was after Yusuke. That was it. And now it was quickly turning into something greater—something that involved changing destinies. Hiei didn't like it at all.

"Hiei, if you frown anymore your face will be stuck in that expression forever. You don't want to scare people anymore than you already do."

The fiery youkai started. _Speak your mind—no way. _Hiei shuddered inwardly at such a proposition. "You can never stay quiet when it's good you for you," he said distractedly.

Yusuke blinked innocently. "Nope!"

It was as if Koenma had installed the mantra into Hiei's mind. Now all he could do was try in vain to keep it from overriding his verbal capacity and spill out something he didn't wish to let out just yet.

"Are you okay, Hiei? You look…stressed."

_Brilliant observation as usual, Detective._ But those words didn't come out. Instead, Hiei found himself saying, "I'm worried about you."

Yusuke stared at Hiei for a moment. Then the words began to sink in. Worried, was it? He almost laughed. Well, that much he knew from the beginning. But he never imagined Hiei would actually vocalize his concern. Yusuke smiled. The gesture warmed him greatly.

"Well Hiei, don't worry. Because I'll jump right back up soon enough!"

The shorter youkai's gaze never wavered. Hiei was almost possessed. "Yusuke…I'm not worried about you only as a friend," he said pointedly.

His demeanor was hard and unfeeling. Hiei had no control over what was happening to him as he walked over to Yusuke's bed and leaned down over the other youkai. Yusuke watched him with shock and in the back of Hiei's mind, he screamed at his body to stop. But still he bent closer down until his lips met with Yusuke's for the briefest of seconds. Then Hiei regained his body. He snapped back, controlling his face to maintain a calm expression while mentally he was in utter turmoil. Yusuke didn't even move from his spot—he only looked at Hiei with the utmost surprise.

_What the hell just happened? _Hiei steadied himself. "Precisely, Detective." He then fled through the open window.

Now Hiei was angry. Angry with himself. Angry with whatever force possessed him to do such a thing. He stopped on the rooftop of a nearby building, trying to recollect his composure. But why had that happened? Hiei knew it was not of his own doing. _Something_ had taken control of his mind and body.

Eventually, though, he calmed down enough to realize it wasn't his actions that really worried him—it was _Yusuke_. He hadn't said anything after Hiei kissed him. He merely stared at him with that stunned look in his eyes, something that scared Hiei considerably. But like a coward he had run away before even giving Yusuke a chance to recover. He snorted bitterly. What a perfect prelude to the midnight fiasco that would no doubt occur.

"Ah, Hiei…you weren't supposed to run away. But I guess my charm wasn't strong enough."

The youkai turned around sharply. Then, the revelation sank in. "_You_," he spat out, "_you _were in charge of that…weren't you?"

The ferry girl from the Reikai hadn't changed in regards to appearance. Only now she was adorned in a dark blue kimono. Her oar remained the same and most importantly, the impish glint in her eyes remained the same as she smiled winsomely at Hiei.

"And a nice to see you too, Hiei!" she greeted brightly. "I do hope you liked my gift. I swear, when Kurama told us what was going on between you two, I never imagined it to be _so bad_. I just had to take matters into my own hands. And besides…it wasn't like I made you _lie_. You are worried about Yusuke—and I know you care about him as more than a friend. And goodness knows what else you wanted to do to him than just _kiss_!"

Botan laughed gaily to herself. Hiei glowered at her dangerously. "You had no right to control me like that, Botan," he snarled out.

Years ago, the ferry girl would have been too afraid to try anything so bold on Hiei. But centuries had gone by and now, it seemed, Botan had assumed it safe for her to try her little pranks on him. Hiei had to suppress his urge to strangle her.

"_Please_, Hiei. You have no idea how _tiring_ it's been for all of us. Happiness is what you want, right? Well, telling Yusuke was the first step towards that goal. I just…_nudged_ you into confessing. And the kiss was so short! But I think it had enough impact," continued Botan, winking. "Now I'm not supposed to be here but I just couldn't resist when I heard Koenma was paying you a visit. You know everything now. So I just want to wish you good luck. And remember, Hiei, no matter how hard you try to imagine it _didn't _happen, it _did_. So live with it and just wait it out. Yusuke cares about you a lot too, you know."

And then she disappeared before Hiei could even think of a proper reply. He stared at the nighttime sky. So it had happened. In the most unconventional way ever, he had finally told Yusuke—or shown him rather—how he felt about him. Hiei shook his head to himself. What an anticlimactic confessional. He hadn't even been in charge of it. Originally, he had never even thought about telling Yusuke. Or if he did manage to gather enough galls, Hiei would have at least done it with proper setting and atmosphere. What Botan did…was purely unexpected and completely unromantic.

Hiei froze. _Unromantic? _He sighed. Kurama had been much too influential on his life. Such ideologies and gestures had been borrowed from him entirely. Damn that kitsune.

"What did I tell you about frowning, Hiei?"

He almost jumped. Almost. Instead Hiei froze momentarily before resigning himself over to fate. "You should be resting," he said indirectly.

Yusuke grinned. "I feel much better than before. I guess love has a way of rejuvenating its victims, huh?"

Hiei looked at him. "No teasing. Or else I will have to hurt you."

"Now, now, Hiei. I'm just teasing you on your delivery. I was very taken back. But…it was nice," said Yusuke, "and cute. Typical. Only you can pull off such a thing."

All Hiei could do was listen. He had no idea what Yusuke was going at. Nor was he in particular need of wanting to know. So he listened halfheartedly until something Yusuke said finally garnered his full attention.

"…so what now? Can I call you my boyfriend?"

Yusuke looked at Hiei with what could have been mistaken as seriousness—if not for the ridiculously goofy smile plastered onto his face. Hiei blinked.

"Is that the term your humans created? Pathetic."

Yusuke laughed heartedly. "Hey, come on! I'm trying to be serious. So you mean to tell me after all that you really don't want me? That it was just a joke?" he said, arching an eyebrow.

Hiei contemplated to himself. Yusuke always was a master at provocation. He knew exactly what to say to get his opponent to spill. And it made Hiei feel vulnerable—and somewhat mad.

"Are _you_ the one who's joking."

This wiped the amusement off from Yusuke's face. He took a step closer to the shorter youkai and smiled as Hiei glared darkly at his approaching form. "Well… No," he replied. "I'm just trying to add a little humor to a very awkward conversation."

"Then cut the humor and let's get straight to the point," snapped Hiei. He placed a hand out before him. "Shake if you reciprocate."

Yusuke had been on the verge of laughing when Hiei's severity stopped him. He coughed back his chuckles and placed his hand in Hiei's, finalizing in a firm shake. "Is this how the youkai do it or what?" he asked.

"I'm beginning to think you aren't very serious about this."

"Au contraire, my little Squirt. I care very much," countered Yusuke, "but I still insist on calling you my boyfriend."

"I will not be subjugated by such terminology."

"Well then what would call us?"

"We don't _require_ a title, Yusuke."

"Man, you're such a stiff! I can see now why you and Kurama broke up."

"Kurama and I have nothing to—you _knew _about us?"

"Don't be so surprised, Hiei. It wasn't that hard to tell."

Hiei and Yusuke were standing face-to-face now. To the former, it seemed a very surreal situation. Unintentionally showing Yusuke how he felt was the last thing on Hiei's mind and yet when everything was said and done, it had proved to be not nearly as intimidating as he thought it would. Despite all the urging and encouragement from Kurama, Hiei was simply not the type to "confess." Even when he knew he probably had a high rate of success. It was that one moment of stripping away all facades and being utterly true to yourself that scared Hiei.

And now it was over.

With no damage to his pride Hiei had prevailed. It was as if a wall between himself and Yusuke had finally been broken down. There was no hiding now. The fiery youkai felt a sense of peace overcome him. Yes, it was all over.

"Hiei, it's almost time. We should get going."

The shorter youkai glanced at the pocket watch Kurama had given him years ago. The kitsune had said something about him being late too many times as he handed the little mechanical device to Hiei. Now all he could do was snort scathingly. Dependence on technology was hardly Hiei's idea, but it did come in handy every so often.

"Twenty minutes is a lot of extra time," he said.

Yusuke shrugged. "Better early than later."

He began to move out when Hiei grabbed his arm. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Hiei didn't bother to hide his concerns anymore—there was no point, really. Yusuke always knew what he was thinking. It was an alarming talent.

"No rashness. If you can help it, avoid physical combat."

Yusuke's face remained blank. And then he smiled to himself. "Now that's funny coming from you," he replied. He sighed. "Fine, almighty one. I'll listen to your selfish requests _this_ time."

Hiei only smiled.

* * *

TBC

Yeah, this was a fluffy chapter. I couldn't help it. XD Happy Holidays!


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